Of Golden Hair And Green Leather
by sentencefragments
Summary: a collection of drabbles and oneshots with no relation to each other except the main characters and their epic love *snickers* Some of these have already been posted on my tumblr: sentence-fragments., but I wanted to post them here too.
1. Chapter 1

**KISS IN THE RAIN**

Getting caught in the terrible storm wasn't something she hadn't expected. She had warned Oliver several times that the nice weatherman from Channel 5 had warned her for the terrible rainfall that was now descending onto her shoulders. And her hair. And pretty much everywhere. She was soaking wet. But then again, so was Oliver. That served to be a tiny retribution for ignoring her worries.

"You won't need a jacket, I promise." He had said. Liar.

She glared at him, arms crossed, covering her now see-through white shirt. Her shoulders were hunched and she shivered, making Oliver scoot closer to her and wrap his arm around her tighter. They had given up on trying to find shelter and were now walking back on the trail they had been walking to get to the picnic spot Oliver had chosen. At first, it was just a light drizzle that made them quicken their step just a tiny bit, but within minutes, the rain came falling down in buckets at a time. They were drenched to the bone in a matter of seconds. Their pace had slowed down to a comfortable stroll because neither one of them saw any more use in getting to the car as quickly as possible. With his free hand he pulled the wet strands of hair away from her face and put his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I should have listened to you, like usual."

She started shaking her head and looked up at him. Her glasses were foggy as she pushed them up on her nose. It kept sliding off, even more than usual. She smiled softly at him and rolled her eyes.

"Apology accepted. Lesson learned, I hope?"

Oliver half-scoffed, half-laughed. "Yeah."

"Idiot." She muttered. He smiled and looked down at their now entwined fingers.

"Up until around half an hour ago, this was a wonderful first date. I had a great time."

He smiled that little crooked smile that she loved so much. "You did?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah. And I think I even know a way to make this whole rain thing seem just a minor thing."

She smirked and before Oliver could respond her lips were glued to his. He staggered backward, caught off guard by the sudden display of affection, but that didn't mean he didn't immediately recollected himself and threw his arms around her waist, hoisting her up a little, pulling her closer to him. Her hand ran through the short, soaking wet strands of hair at the back of his head. His tongue traced the seam of her lips and she gasped into him, allowing him entrance. Their lips moved together like they had been meeting for years. Felicity moaned quietly and tightened her arm around his neck when Oliver nipped at her bottom lip.

"You were right again." He whispered, slightly panting, his forehead against hers when they finally parted, both needing the air. His arms were lightly wrapped around her, his fingers tracing patterns on her back. She smiled a little, running her thumb over his cheekbone.

"It's a gift." She whispered. Oliver smiled and leaned in for another one of those delicious kisses.


	2. Chapter 2

**All That I Have, All That I Want**

_"I want you. I want your sleepy confused look when you wake up, and the smile that follows.  
I want to be the warmth that fills the space in your bed. I don't want to share you."_  
**_\- Unknown_**

He likes to watch her when she's sleeping, in a totally non-creepy way, of course. He always wakes up first, but he waits in bed beside her until she does. He likes to watch her because her hair is always a mess from the excessive tumbling and cuddling. He likes to watch her eyelids flutter and the shadows her lashes make on her cheek in the early morning light. He likes to watch her lick her lips before she turns into his side. He likes to watch her fingers move on his chest and he likes to watch her breathing steadily. He has come to really appreciate it. Her nose is pressed against his skin and every time she exhales it tickles. His arm is wrapped around her waist and their legs are entwined. You would think that after months of sleeping together –not sleeping, but _sleeping_ sleeping. Well, also sleeping together but just not every night– they would have gotten annoyed with being too close to each other all the time, but the opposite appears to be true. When Oliver has to travel for business, she usually comes with him, but when she can't, neither of them has a very restful sleep.

"Morning." He whispers into her hair. He knows she's waking up, of course he does. Her fingers start twitching and she groans because she doesn't want to wake up. It means she has to get out of bed and start a new day instead of just lying her in Oliver's arms.

"M'rning" She slurs and turns her body to bury her face in his chest.

Oliver smiles and starts pressing kisses into her messy hair, pushing strands out of her face and tucking them behind her ear. He can just see the slight uptick of her lips. She hums softly and kisses his chest.

"What time is it?" She asks softly, with a growly undertone.

"Eight." She groaned loudly and sat up quickly, eyes wide, lips pouting. She held the sheets around her bare chest and ran a hand through her hair.

"We're going to be late if we don't get up now." She turned to look at him. He lay there smiling, not looking the least bit worried about being late for work. He sat up, fingers trailing along her spine before snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. Placing a trail of kisses along her shoulder and to her neck he leaned closer and whispered in her ear.

"It's Saturday, Felicity." His free hand cupped her cheek, guiding her lips to his. She gasped when the gap was closed and sighed into him.

"Oh thank God." She whispered when they parted, Oliver's hand trailing down her throat, on its way to get rid of the offensive piece of fabric separating them. Felicity's arms released the sheet easily and before she could protest, she was flipped onto her back, with a grinning Oliver hovering above her. He leaned down and placed languid kisses upon her lips. She moaned quietly, squirming underneath him, desperate for his touch.

"I am way to sore for walking in heels all day." She chuckled, arching her back so they were chest to chest.

"That's a good thing, right?" He sighed against the pale column of her throat. She could feel him smiling and chuckled softly.

"Yeah." She said, pulling him upward from his chin and placing her lips against his for a kiss. He nipped at her bottom lip when she put her arm around his neck, deepening the kiss. She lifted her leg, hooking it around his hips, pulling him closer.

"You're still gonna pay for my new dress, you know. You didn't have to rip it off." She murmured against his lips.

"You know I don't like to share you." He replied.

"Oh come on! It was one dance! Bruce knows we are together, he would never advance on me, you know that."

He trailed a path of kisses along her collarbone before looking up, hovering above her and staring into her eyes, her pupils were blown wide, the blue of her irises barely visible.

"Oh I know. But I really don't care." He kissed the tip of her nose and smiled at her. The kind of smile that would achieve pretty much everything. The smile that she couldn't withstand even if she tried to. The smile he used only with her. She rolled her eyes and kissed him.

"You are such a big jealous baby." She laughed, placing a hand on his cheek, stroking her thumb along his cheekbone. "And I love you for it."

He smiled the smile again and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I love you, too, Felicity. With all that I have. You are everything that I have ever wished for and more. I never thought that we would get the chance to make this work, but we did, somehow. I never knew how much I needed you until the incident."

A month before they –finally– got together, Felicity had been in a terrible car crash. Her heart had stopped beating twice and she ended up with a new scar or two and a broken arm and twisted ankle. Oliver realized that helping him with his nighttime activities wasn't the only thing that could get her hurt. At first, it made him feel worse, but after a while he figured that if even such a mundane thing as a car crash could mean the end of Felicity Smoak, it wouldn't hurt if he just got to enjoy her for as long as possible. He started with helping her around the house. He sometimes cooked her dinner and things just progressed naturally, like they would have eventually, but probably a little faster. And now he was here, lying in her bed with her tucked underneath him, declaring his love for her.

Felicity was about to say something, but he held up a finger to stop her. "Felicity, I need to ask you something that I've been wanting to ask you for a really long time."


	3. Chapter 3

**You're My Everything**

_"Marry me. Let's spend our nights eating cereal on the floor when there is a perfectly fine table behind us. Marry me. We can go to the movie theatre and sit in the very back row just to make out like kids falling in love for the first time. Marry me. We'll paint the rooms of our house and get more paint on us than on the walls. Marry me. We can hold hands and go to parties that we end up ditching to drink wine out of the bottle in the bathtub together. Marry me. Slow dance with me in our bedroom with an unmade bed and candles on the nightstand."  
__**\- Let me love you forever, marry me**_

He had thought it all out, he would take her to a nice restaurant, order the best wine. He would take her hand and ask her 'The Question'. She would say yes and squeal and be all smiles and happy. She wouldn't be able to wait until they would get home, making innuendos every chance she got, trying to make her point. They would stroll back to her townhouse under the Christmas lights that the city was decorated with. They would hold hands or he would put an arm around her to keep her from getting cold. As soon as the door would be shut behind them she would jump his bones and they would be going at it like bunnies. But, here he was, after a stressful night at a charity gala for a corrupt charity, with Bruce Wayne all over his favorite girl. Luckily, the ended did end with them going at it like bunnies. His jealousy turned out to be a turn on for Felicity. He would use that to his advantage in the future.

He reached into the nightstand and pulled out a navy blue velvet box, obviously the size for a ring. Felicity gasped underneath him and pressed her lips together in anticipation. She had a feeling she knew what was happening. Oliver smiled at her and nodded slowly. She smiled with her lips still pressed together. Her eyes started glazing over and she pressed a hand against her lips. Oliver casually twisted the box around between his fingers, trying to pretend he wasn't freaking out. He took a deep breath and started on what would be a long declaration of love.

"Before I begin this long, long, long speech, I just want you to know that I did not plan to do this like this. I had a whole plan, but that clearly didn't work out."

Felicity couldn't hold back the chuckle that escaped her lips and she reached up to cup his cheek. He smiled softly and averted his gaze back to the ring box.

"What I told you after Russia was complete bullshit. I'm sure you remember that stupid speech and I hope you have forgiven me for being such an imbecile. I also hope that you are aware of how much I love you. We haven't been together that long. Not together together at least. You know what I mean, but I know that there is never going to be anyone else I'm going to want to spend my life with. You're the one I want to get a dog with, you know, one of those who are impossible to train, but we will love it anyways because it's our dog. You're the one I want to watch all the good movies I missed with and you're the one I want to move in with, decorating our house together, painting the walls ourselves, and disagreeing on the colors. You're the one I want to have a family with, doesn't matter how many members it will consist of. You're the reason I believe in the possibility of all that. You changed me for the better. Your light chased away my darkness and that's a debt I could never repay, so I'm just going to be incredibly thankful."

Felicity couldn't hold it all back anymore, she crushed her lips against Oliver's. He allowed her to have a short and sweet kiss but quickly pulled back, raising his eyebrows and holding up a finger.

"let me finish." He said.

"Oh my god. Just hurry up, before I'm going to cry." She squirmed underneath him and groaned. It created friction in all the right places and Oliver decided to forego the rest of his speech and just get it over with. He opened the box, hearing Felicity gasp softly. A simple golden band with intricate patterned engravings. A single diamond embedded in the top. It wasn't a very big one but it was very Felicity. Oliver pulled the ring from the box and looked her in the eyes.

"So, Felicity Megan Smoak, I'm asking you, would you please do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?"

The first tears of joy slipped out of the corners of her eyes as she started nodding. "Yes." She croaked out and pulled him in for another shower of kisses.

"Yes. Oliver, Of course I will. I love you so much." She said in between kisses. They only parted for Oliver to slide the ring onto Felicity's finger. A perfect fit. He would never truly understand what made him decide to propose to her right there and then, but it was one of the best decisions of his life. The moment currently ranks at the third place of his favorite moments ever, with the birth of their baby girl at the top and their wedding as a close second, a place shared with their Honeymoon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Bright Like The Sun**  
"You could tell he was in love by the way he looked at her. Other girls were faint stars; she was his sun." – Unknown

"Are those two ever going to get together?" Roy asked, sitting on the med bay while Diggle patched him up, stitching together the cut on his back. He was looking at Oliver hovering over Felicity as she worked to track down another criminal that had reared its head and was out for vengeance in Starling City. He wasn't sure if Oliver was aware of how close he was to her. Probably not. She had hugged him when they had returned, scolding all three of them about how worried she had been when the comm link had turned off.

Diggle scoffed and shook his head. "Who knows, man. It would be about damn time."

"How does she not see the way he looks at her? I mean, it's like puppy with rainbows and cookies."

Finishing up on Roy's wound, Diggle pulled off his gloves and walked around the table.

"Oliver believes that the only thing he would be good at, is getting her hurt or breaking her heart. He's not ready yet, and I think that's true. Of course, the tension between them is undeniable, but Oliver has a lot of learning and growing to do before he can be happy, and this does not only apply to being with Felicity. He needs to believe in himself as much as she does, and maybe then they'll stand a chance. But, if Oliver is going to end up with someone, it's going to be Felicity. She's like a sun to him, the brightest of all the people he knows."

"Wow, Dig, where's the sudden people wisdom coming from?" Roy asked, chuckling under his breath.

Dig shook his head an leaned against the table, watching Felicity explain something to Oliver and Oliver putting a hand on her shoulder and smiling. He had faith that they would find a way to be happy.

"Lyla is making me watch a lot of Dr. Phil with her."

Roy chuckled and Dig punched him in the arm. "How's she doing? Excited for the baby to arrive?"

"You bet. She keeps yelling at me to get her stuff and complaining about how she feels like a bloated penguin. You know, how she kind of waddles around the house."

"It'll be worth it, John." Roy said, smiling.

"I know. I can't wait to hold her."

Roy jumped off the table, wincing a little and turned to stand in front of the other man.

"Twenty bucks says those two will be together before your baby girl is born."

Diggle pretend-winced and nodded. "You should talk to Sara, she's really into these things. We have bet running that Oliver is going to have to propose to her at least two times before she says yes."

Roy scoffed. "Really? That far into the future?"

Shrugging, Diggle turned to put away the medical kit. "that all depends on them." He jerked his head to Oliver and Felicity, who were now having one of their patented games of eye-sex.

"So? Do we have a bet or what?"

"Sure, whatever."

He pulled out his wallet and handed Roy twenty bucks.

"What's this for?" He asked, brows knitted together in confusion.

"I have a feeling I'm going to lose this one." Diggle said, moving his gaze and lifting his eyebrows.

Roy turned around to see Oliver and Felicity's lips glued together. He smiled and turned back to Dig.

"Let's give these two some privacy, shall we?" He said, ushering Roy up the stairs and out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**When You (Don't) Let Her Go**

_"I finally understood what true love meant…love meant that you care for another person's happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be."  
__**\- Nicholas Sparks, Dear John**_

When Felicity first told him about her date with Daniel he kept it together quite well. He told her to have fun, and go home early to get ready. The night of the date itself was a whole other story. He destroyed three training dummies and could barely restrain himself from going on patrol. Translation: spying on Felicity and her date. He didn't understand why Felicity going on a date affected him in this way. Bullshit, of course he knew, but he couldn't yet face the fact that he was head over heels in love with the Blonde. Not yet, he wasn't ready. She deserves to be happy and right now at least, he couldn't give that to her. He couldn't give her a normal life and quality time together and date nights and other things couples do. He had to let her be happy, one way or another, and Felicity dating another man was one way to do it.

The next day was a Saturday, so he didn't have to be at the office. He was at the liar instead, considering what he would do if Felicity would actually enjoy Daniel's company and they would become a couple. He didn't know. He sat at Felicity's desk, waiting for her to walk down the stairs. She always was the first one here. He had had half an hour to think about what he was going to say to her, what lie he was going to tell her, but all was forgotten when she reached the bottom of the steps.

"How was your date?" He asked, swiveling around in her chair to look at her. She looked just as gorgeous as she always did, her cheeks slightly blushing and the ever-present ponytail in her hair. She was wearing a flower dress that clung to her curves in all the right places. He licked his lips before pressing them into a firm line.

"Good afternoon to you too." She sad, walking over to her desk and putting down her purse and take off her coat.

"It was good. Daniel was very nice, we had a lovely dinner and he drove me home afterwards."

His face fell and he nodded slowly. "Good." He stood up, heading towards the training area, feeling like he might need to beat up a few dummies. He had barely taken ten steps before she called out, sounding worried and unsure about what she was going to say or do.

"Oliver, wait."

He stopped, waited for a second and turned around on his heel. Her gaze was averted and she swallowed before licking her lips and looking him in the eye. He raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"What is it?" He asked.

She took a step closer. "I lied. It wasn't good." She paused

"It's not that he wasn't nice or that he did something wrong, he was perfectly fine and gentlemanly, but I was the problem."

She took another step towards him. "You see, I couldn't stop thinking about you, and about how wrong it felt to sit there with another man. Oliver, I know you're not ready for this, but I think I'm in love with you, and I don't know what to do."

She ran a hand over her hair and exhaled shakily.

"Felicity…" He trailed off, taking the smallest of steps closer to her. He didn't know what to do, but he knew exactly what he wanted. If he would let himself not worry for just a split-second, she would be in his arms, and it was getting harder and harder to restrain himself. He took another step in her direction, swallowing hard.

"I've been thinking about you all night too." The switch was flipped. There was no going back now, no time to think about the consequences of what might happen right here and now.

"Really?" She asked in the smallest voice he had ever heard from her. He nodded and took two more steps towards her.

"Yeah. I've been thinking about you for a while now, and I think I want you to know that what I told you that night in the mansion was true. I could never lie to you, not now. Not ever."

He was standing in front of her now, he would only have to reach out to touch her.

"Well, maybe only with the whole laptop and energy drinks thing…"

She scoffed and smiled softly.

"Truth is, I love you, Felicity Smoak." The next thing he remembers are her arms wrapped around his neck and her lips glued to his. It's Dig who interrupts them just before things get to heated.

"It's about damn time." Is the only thing he says as he smiles at his two best friends, who finally have decided to stop being stupid.


	6. Chapter 6

Their baby girl was only two months old, but Oliver couldn't imagine life without the precious little ball of happiness. They had named her Sophie, for wisdom, and she was the most adorable thing he had ever seen. She had brought a certain calm and domesticity into their lives. After Oliver and Felicity had gotten married, they would still spend most of their time at work or at the foundry. That all changed when she got pregnant less than a year later. Oliver had begun training Roy even more to perfect his archery skills, so he could take more nights off when the baby arrived. As for who would take Felicity's place on her nights off, Thea turned out to have a knack for technology. Malcolm had taught her archery when he had taken her to Asia, and she had become fairly good at it too, but Oliver still had some trouble letting his baby sister go out to fight criminals.

It was a Sunday morning and there wasn't any need to get out of bed. Felicity's head was resting on his bicep while she was playing with Sophie's tiny little toes, tickling her and pressing kisses to the soles of her feet. The baby squealed like her life depended on it and all Oliver could do was lay there, smiling like –an idiot– the adoring father that he was.

Suddenly, Felicity looked up at him and smiled. The adoring look on his face only brightened and he pulled her in for a kiss. He entwined their hands at Sophie's feet while the baby was kicking her feet and wiggling her little arms around, trying to get the attention back. Felicity laughed and tickled her tummy. Oliver couldn't imagine his life would ever be better.


	7. Chapter 7

On their first date, or well, on what turned out to be their first date, he had taken her shopping for gifts for Lyla's baby shower. She had never gone to one before and she was kind of freaking out, not having any idea what to get her. Oliver had calmed her down and offered to go with her, telling her that his mom used to go to a ton of those things. That was a lie, and Felicity saw right through it. She let it slide because she could use all the help she could get and Oliver just wanted to spend some time with her not doing illegal nighttime activities. He wanted to get to know her better, and not just the things one could find on a simple background-check. He wanted to know how she spent her nights off, what restaurants she loved, where she liked to go shopping, which books she reads, all that kind of stuff. Some people would say that he was –already– head over heels in love with her, but he would never, in a million years, admit it, until they were caught in the rain in a street with little boutiques near Felicity's townhouse.

They ended up buying a couple of children's books (Goodnight Moon, Runaway Bunny, and Guess How Much I Love You?) From Felicity's favorite bookstore. Oliver had raised his eyebrows when she had reached for an older-looking book and smelled it. She just rolled her eyes and smiled when she put it back and they moved on to the children's section. He remembered Thea loving all three of the books they picked out. He would read them to her when she couldn't sleep. He was smiling at the memory when they were checking out.

With the bag in her hand they left the store, talking about their childhoods –the nice parts about it– and other things, like how the weather seemed to have suddenly changed from sunny to menacing grey clouds. The raindrops began falling from the sky pretty soon after they stepped out of the store. Felicity hadn't taken a jacket with her, since it was only a ten minute walk to her house. Oliver however, always being the gentleman, took off his coat and put it around her shoulders. She objected that his expensive designer suit would be ruined and proposed to share. Her arm was wrapped around his waist so they would fit under the coat, the sides of their bodies pressed together. It turned out to be the second best part of their day.

They arrived at Felicity's house 7 minutes later. Stepping away from each other on her porch, sheltered from the rain that was now pouring down from the sky. Felicity's cheeks were flushed and she thanked him for the help and the shelter. He smiled the kind of smile that even if you would spend so much time with him as she had, you still couldn't resist. She moved to kiss his cheek, something that she hadn't dared up until now. They would never know what happened exactly, but she missed. Or he moved. It would be the funny anecdote on their wedding.

Anyway, Felicity's lips were planted on his and things just escalated from there.


	8. Chapter 8

"Felicity! I heard what happened! Tell me it's not true."

Barry skidded to a stop in the middle of the foundry, leaving Felicity angrily trying to keep her paperwork where it was supposed to be.

"Damnit Barry! How many times have I told you not to do that." She chided, standing up from her chair to pick up some of the paper that had been blown away.

Barry stared at her in confusion, slowly walking over to her desk to help her.

"You heard correctly, by the way." She said quietly as she gathered the paper back into a stack.

"Then why are you so calm? I thought you'd be devastated." He looked at her in confusion. He knew how Felicity felt about Oliver and he knew that Oliver felt the same way. He could only imagine what she was going through.

"Oh believe me I was. Devastated, I mean. Malcolm freaking Merlyn waltzed in here like he owned the place, which, now that I think about it, he actually does, because Thea bought back the club with his money, but that's not…." She shook her head and put the stack of paper back on her desk.

"Anyway, he waltzed in here with the damn sword Ra's used, telling me that Oliver was dead."

"So then why aren't you crying your eyes out right now, again? I know I would if something like that happened to Iris."

"Because even though what you heard was true, it was not the whole truth."

Barry raised his eyebrows in confusion. Felicity smiled softly, a sparkle igniting in her eyes.

"He survived, Barry. I don't know how, but he did."

A sigh of relief escaped from his lips. "Oh thank god. I have to go tell Cisco and Caitlin."

"No, no, no, no, no. You can't. Nobody can know." Felicity grabbed the sleeve of his suit before he could

"Why not?"

"Because he is in hiding and if the League found out, I don't know what they'll do to him. But I will not let that happen. Do you understand?"

"Oh. Yeah, of course." He nodded. "But, where is he exactly? And who does know?"

"I don't know. It's better that we don't know, but I wish he could be here." Felicity looked down at her hands and licked her lips. She wished he were here because then she could finally tell him that she loved him. When she heard he had died that was the first thing that crossed her mind; 'I should have told him.' She got the call about two weeks later. Bad quality sound, a lot of static but the voice was definitely Oliver. She had cried tears of joy, but had still held back those three little words. She would tell him when he was safely in her arms, and back home. She swallowed, pulling out of her little reverie and looking back up at Barry.

"And as for who knows about it: Me, Dig, Roy and now you. And it's going to stay that way." She glared at him. Daring him to defy her. A huff of air escaped from his lips.

"You starting to scare me a little, Felicity. You're acting like one of those intimidating Maffia wives, protecting their husband."

Felicity groaned but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. If only Barry knew Oliver was a Captain in the Russian Mob.


	9. Chapter 9

**NO BETTER PLACE AND TIME (THEN HERE AND NOW)**

Oliver couldn't sleep. If it was the heat, or whirlwind of thoughts that was raging on inside his head, he didn't know. Felicity was sound asleep next to him, her back pressed against his front. Tiny curls were sticking to the nape of her neck and across her forehead, damp with sweat but still he buried his nose into her hair to catch the faint smell of her fruity shampoo. She hummed lowly in her sleep, making Oliver smile a little. His feet were sticking out from underneath the comforter in an attempt to keep himself as cool as he could. It didn't work, and neither did the fan they had put on the dresser. It had broken down of old-age and there was no way of replacing it until the next day. With a kiss to Felicity's shoulder, he sat up and slid from underneath the warm and clingy covers.

Originally, he had planned to go into the bathroom to splash some cold water in his face but the relieved sigh that escaped from his lips had him re-evaluate his decision. He sat down, legs flat against the parquet floor, taking deep breaths as the wooden floor cooled his burning skin. Not long after, sitting turned into lying. It felt nice, and it was definitely more comfortable than he had expected.

Taking deep, slow breaths helped him concentrate and organize his mind. What he would have to get for Sara Diggle's first birthday could wait for a few more weeks. How her parent's wedding had awoken a sense of want and helpless desire for a similar thing, however, could not. He turned his head to the left, trying to sneak a peek of the woman he loved, sleeping soundly in a bed that he should be in next to her. By her side, never to leave again, like he had promised her, over and over on the day that he had returned to the warmth and safety of her arms.

Little less than a year ago, the first time he kissed her, he had felt a similar feeling. Watching her coo at the tiny baby in Lyla's arms had sparked something deep inside him and for the first time he was thinking what he wanted for his future rather than if he would survive the next few days. He wanted a future, he wanted to live. With her.

Everything had crumbled to pieces, because of course they did. He screwed up the one thing that he never, ever wanted to screw up. The relationship that had been built up between them vanished into thin air and it felt like a kick to the gut. And to top it all off, he had died, never expecting to miraculously come back to life. He was expecting to die when he left for the mountain, and had almost welcomed it, but he wouldn't go out without telling her he loved her. The disbelief in her eyes when he stood before her once again was something he would never forget. Much like the tears that stained her cheeks, feeling her sob against his chest as she held onto him like a lifeline, her familiar smell infiltrating his nose as he held her just as tight, the way the words 'I love you, Oliver' fell from her lips and how easily he reciprocated the sentiment with the added promises of forever. And lastly, the feel of her lips against his as her arms wound around his neck, pulling him impossibly closer.

He couldn't see her from his position on the floor, just the hand that had unconsciously reached for him in her sleep, already sensing his absence. He rolled his head back and closed his eyes, his mind calming down as he slowly began to realize what exactly it was that he wanted and how much he hoped she did too.

When she woke up and the space he usually occupied next to her was empty, she frowned and rubbed her eyes. Worry spiked up deep inside of her because it wasn't the first time she'd waken up alone in the middle of the night. Pulling the comforter off of her sticky body, she sighed softly in relief. It was hot, too hot, in Starling City. It had been for a few days now. The heatwave was almost over, they would just have to endure it for a few more days, according to the nice weatherman from Channel 5.

Sitting up, she spotted him pretty quickly, even without her glasses. She quickly crossed to the other side of the bed and slid down on the ground, back against the bedframe.

"What are you doing down here?" She whispered.

"Thinking, mostly."

Scooting a little closer and crossing her legs she smiled softly. He was lying on his back on the floor in the middle of her bedroom. His hands folded, resting on his bare stomach, dressed only in his boxers. A sight to behold. She could see the thin sheen of sweat covering his torso reflecting the moonlight that seeped in from Felicity's bedroom window.

"Okay, but why are you on the floor?"

Oliver cracked open an eye and grinned at her. "Your floor is cold. It's nice."

"Ah. Mind if I join you?"

"Of course not." He said, smiling.

Her knee bumped his side as she lowered herself next to him, her elbow holding her up as she leaned over him, softly brushing her lips over his. Oliver hummed in approval, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. They parted after a slow and soft kiss and she looked at him for a moment, searching his eyes, tracing a finger along his jaw. Narrowing his eyes a little, he gazed back into hers, taking this moment to really look at her, without the thick frames shielding her from him.

He loves her glasses, they are a part of who she is but there was something about her without them that he had become really fond of. From here he could count her lashes, see the different shades of blue and grey her irises held and spot the tiny little birthmark next to her right eye.

Her knuckles brush his cheek as she quickly pecks his lips and settles on her side next to him, using his bicep as a pillow. His hand finds its way to her lower back, his fingers tracing patterns on the exposed skin between her underwear and flimsy camisole. They're both quiet for a while. She watches him breath, something that has become a habit, for reasons she doesn't even want to think about. Her hand rests on his chest, just above where his heart is pounding against his sternum, for the same reasons. Felicity sighs softly and presses her lips to his shoulder.

"What were you thinking about? Did you have another nightmare?"

He didn't respond, only turned his head to look at her. As it turned out, coming back to life came at a price, and nightmares terrorizing your night's sleep was part of that price. Oliver was experiencing it all over again, his time on the island, the things he had to do in order to survive, it haunted him at night and he was so afraid to hurt Felicity as she slept next to him just like he had hurt his mother, another subject of his nightmares, on the first night he was back at the Mansion. That is why, every time he would wake up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat, heart hammering against his chest, that he would feel the need to find someplace else to sleep, somewhere away from Felicity so he couldn't hurt her. Just in case. Of course, She had noticed.

"Because if you did, You know that I'm here. You don't have to run, Oliver. Just wake me up and I'll be there for you, like always. Don't shut me out. I know you're scared because we still don't know exactly what happened to you that brought you back to us, but I trust you and I know you won't hurt me."

He smiled softly and reached up to run his fingers through her hair. "marry me."

His voice is almost a whisper, almost like it wasn't even supposed to escape from his lips but it's still the loudest thing Felicity has ever heard.

"What?" she asks, completely caught off guard.

"That's what I was thinking about. Marry me, Felicity." His voice isn't a whisper anymore. It's steady and confident.

"So no nightmare?" She asked, licking her lips as she swallowed.

He shook his head a little. "No nightmare."

"Oh. Okay. That's good."

"I know it's probably way too soon, and completely out of the blue, but I really don't care. For me, you're it and we've already wasted so much precious time. We can do a long engagement if that's what you want. We can do a big wedding, or just elope, I don't care, as long as you're by my side and I get to be by yours for the rest of our lives I'm good. I don't wanna wait anymore."

A soft smile made its way onto her lips, her hand moving to cup his cheek.

"What do you say? Felicity Meghan Smoak, will you marry me?"

She chuckled and smiled brightly at him, nodding. "Yes, you idiot. But you're the one who's going to have to tell the story of how you proposed to me at three in the morning lying on the bedroom floor."

"Gladly." He said, smiling down at her as he pulled her in for a kiss….and another, deepening as Felicity sighs into him. He pushes off the floor, turning to hover over her. When her arms wrap around his neck and she hitches up her knee, wrapping her leg around his waist, Oliver knows his attempt at cooling down is going to end up making both of them only hotter and sweatier.


	10. Chapter 10

**NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING (IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE)**

"Felicity? Are you okay? Do you need some water?"

Felicity coughed, taking as deep a breath she could. The strained sound that escaped from her lips did not exactly put Oliver's mind at ease. Her face started to go red and she clutched at her throat.

"can't. breathe." She gasped before taking another strained breath.

Oliver eyes went wide. Crap, an allergic reaction. Her throat was swelling up, making it harder and harder for her to breathe. Her body started convulsing, face going red, other guests looking up, curious as to what was going on.

"Somebody call an ambulance!" Someone yelled.

Oliver was fumbling through her purse, trying to find her EpiPen. Tears slid down her cheeks when he found it and looked up at her. He needed to hurry. He was out of his seat and around the table in less than a heartbeat, taking the cap off the EpiPen and sticking it into her thigh.

Felicity gasped and yelped in pain, but visibly calmed down. Her eyes fell shut and she fell against the back of her chair, hands falling away from her throat. Oliver gripped her hand as he heard the sirens of the ambulance someone had obviously called came closer.

"you okay?" He asked, reaching up to cup her cheek. She nodded, still shaking and squeezed his hand. He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs as the paramedics came rushing into the overcrowded restaurant.

Oliver explained what had happened, which visibly calmed them down. He sent some angry glares in the direction of the waiter but he knew it wasn't the poor guy's fault. The paramedics took Felicity into the ambulance to get her the medicine she needed, Oliver tagging along, never leaving her side.

"We have a really crappy dating record." Felicity muttered when she hopped out of the ambulance.

"At least we made it to actually having food on our plates this time."

Oliver chuckled, his hand finding her elbow to steady her. She gripped the lapels of his jacket and leaned into him, forehead against his shoulder. His arm wrapped around her back and kissed her temple.

"Maybe it's just not for us. Maybe we're just more of a 'stay-indoors-with-a-sock-on-the-door' kind of couple." He said as his fingers carded through her hair, rubbing soothing circles into her scalp.

Felicity snorted. "At least I'm not allergic to those nuts."

Oliver's hand stilled in her hair, eyebrows flying up as the laughter started running through him, his chest rumbling. Felicity put a hand over her face, cheeks flaming red.

"Why do I talk." She groaned, lifting her head off of his shoulder, looking down at her shoes.

Reaching up, Oliver tugged at her chin and pulled her in for a kiss. It was slow and sensuous and held so many promises. Oliver always kissed her like that, like she was the most precious thing in the entire universe, telling her everything that he felt without a word, pouring all of his soul into a kiss.

He smiled at her when they parted. "Let's go home."

Felicity chuckled and licked her lips, a spark in her eyes as she nodded. Oliver snickered, kissing the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. They collected their coats from the coat-check and the hostess told them their check was on the house, as they felt sorry for what had occurred earlier.

And then they were on their way, Felicity's arms wrapped around his waist, his arm around her shoulder. She was snuggled against his side as they walked the short distance back to Felicity's townhouse. They only emerged from the confines of Felicity's bedroom the following day to go out for pizza because technically they still hadn't had dinner.


	11. Chapter 11

"How did you get so good with kids?" She asked as she handed him Sara's bottle.

They were in the living room of their apartment, late in the evening on a Wednesday. John and Lyla were having a date night and when their nanny had called in sick, Felicity had offered to watch Sara. That had resulted in Oliver and Roy taking the night off too. The night had started off okay, but as it turned later Sara started crying and wouldn't stop. Felicity tried everything. Rocking her from side to side, feeding her, changing her diaper, reading her a story, some more rocking, patting her back to check if she had to burp. Felicity was about to give in when Oliver asked if he could give it a try. When he settled the toddler in his arms, her face red and stained with tears, and started cooing at her, stroking his fingers over her curly hair, occasionally wiping away the girls tears, she slowly started to quiet down.

He laughed and shook his head, shrugging his shoulders. "I didn't even know I was."

The now completely calm Sara cooed at him, making grabby hands at the bottle. Oliver shook it a little before giving it to her. One of her little hands grabbed Oliver's finger over the bottle. It was an utterly adorable sight.

About an hour or so later, they finally managed to put Sara to bed. The little girl was sucking her thumb. Felicity leaned her back against his chest and sighed.

"I don't know how we're gonna do this, Oliver." She whispered.

He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his side, hand moving to the small bump on her stomach.

"You're going to be a great mother, Felicity. Sara probably just missed hers."

He pressed his lips to the side of her neck and up to the shell of her ear and he whispered.

"Besides, it's always different when they're your own kids."

She sighed and looked up at him. He took her hand and let her out of the spare bedroom they had set up as a trial-nursery. Closing the door behind them he kissed her knuckles and pulled her against him again.

"I hope so, because if our baby is going to be like that all the time then I don't know what I'll do. I love Sara dearly, but all the crying is making me feel so helpless." She said.

Oliver smiled and pressed his lips against hers, softly and sweetly. Also very shortly.

"It's a good thing that we have six more months to practice then."


	12. Chapter 12

"I don't want to be a woman you love." She blurted out the words before her brain could catch up with her, slamming a hand over her mouth, eyes wide in mortification.

She hadn't really been paying attention to anything he had been saying ever since he had said the word date. He had been so sweet the last couple of days but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was leading him on, even if unintentionally, and that she should let him down easy. Make it clear that them being a couple was just never going to happen.

Ray's eyebrows flew into his air, mouth hanging open. A breathy laugh escaped from his lips.

"Okay…It's just dinner. You don't have to confess your undying love for me, I promise."

She smiled softly at him "Yeah.. Sorry, I was kind of out of it for a second."

"So? What do you say?"

Quirking up an eyebrow she stared at him in confusion.

"Dinner? You and me?" Ray said

"Right." She looked away, biting her bottom lip. For a second she thought about accepting, but that thought faded even faster than it had popped up. She couldn't.

"Everything okay?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.

Her head jerked up again, gaze meeting his. She shook her head a little.

"I'm sorry, Ray. But I really can't."

Ray pressed his lips together and nodded. Shoving his hands in his pockets he shifted his weight between his feet and looked curiously at her.

"May I ask why not?"

She smiled a little and looked down at her hands.

"Because, even if I haven't ever admitted this out loud, not to anyone, I'm in love with someone else. And even though he can't be with me, it just….It doesn't feel right."

"Ah." He said, nodding slowly in understanding.

"I'm sorry Ray. I should have told you sooner. It's just that I thought I could forget about it and start something new, but I couldn't and I'm sorry if I lead you on."

He shook his head. "It's okay, Felicity. Really, I get it."

"Thank you." She whispered as her phone buzzed. She pursed her lips, holding up a finger to Ray. She grabbed the phone from her desk and checked her messages.

_[Foundry. NOW. ]_ It was from John, and she knew it had to be really important if he didn't want to tell her over the phone. John always called, maybe a bit old-fashioned but he almost never texted her with news. So this. This was important.

"I'm sorry, Ray but I have to go!" She said, grabbing her bag and pulling on her coat.

"Let me guess…It's a.." He started, but she didn't let him finish.

"Long story!" She called out as she hurried out of her office.

The foundry stairs seemed longer than they did before she had to run down them in high heels. During the drive over she had thought about all the possible scenario's what could have John so freaked out or worried that would have him text her. Reality trumped all of them. She could see his back, the light blue material of his shirt pulled tight around the impossible breadth that were John Diggle's shoulders. He was calm, standing near the med-bay. Roy was there, looking in the same direction as Dig. At the person sitting on the metal table that all of them had occupied before. The sound of her heels must have tipped them off to her arrival.

Without a word, Diggle turned around and stepped to the side. For a split-second, Felicity thought she was dreaming, or hallucinating, or just…seeing things that weren't there. She dropped her bag. It hit the floor with a thump, her eyes going wide.

"Oliver." She gasped, unable to move from her spot across the foundry from where she wanted to be. It was like she was glued to the floor, breathing quickly becoming one of those things that you really need to focus on to do it. His gaze bore into hers, and she couldn't do anything but stare, not believing that this was actually reality.

Without a word, Diggle helped him off the table. He winced, steadying himself by leaning back against the cold metal. He was in the same cargo pants he had left in, dark grey in stark contrast with his unusually pale chest. Yes, he was shirtless, except for the large white bandage wrapped around his torso.

"Felicity." He whispered, voice hoarse.

Apparently, that was all she needed, because a second later she was moving, almost sprinting across the foundry. He stepped forward to meet her halfway, but only staggered back against the metal table with the momentum that she crashed into him with. He winced a little as her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, his wound still sore, but now that she was back in his arms, he didn't care. Her forehead rested against his chest and he could touch her again. It was glorious.

He banded an arm around her back, the hand of the other falling on top of her head. He dropped his head against hers as she sobbed into his chest, pressing his lips into her hair. Neither of them noticed Dig signaling to Roy to leave them alone to have their reunion. He did hear them walking up the stairs, but that was not where is main focus was pointed at, at that moment.

Her hands moved on his back, first to his sides and then up to his shoulder blades.

"I can't believe you're really here." She sighed, her voice cracking.

"I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." He kissed her temple and she shuddered.

"Oliver?" She asked quietly, pushing away from his chest, but not out of his arms. She looked up at him, her cheeks stained with tears, eyes red from the crying. One of her hands reached up and she gently laid it against his cheek, thumb stroking over his stubble.

She smiled gently and whispered. "I love you."

One, two, three. It took three heartbeats for him to register what she'd just said. His lips formed a small smile and he leaned into her touch.

"I should have told you sooner… because I knew, but we decided not to… and then you were leaving, and I knew that if I said it, it would become real and I… I…"

And then his lips were on hers, softly, gently, but ever so passionate. His hands were cradling her face just like he had when he had first kissed her in the Hospital corridor. She was smiling when they parted, fingers weaving through the short strands of hair at the back of his head.

"I love you, Oliver Queen." Her eyes lit up as the words fell from her lips once again. It was suddenly the most beautiful sentence he had ever heard anybody say.

"And I love you, Felicity Smoak." He grinned at her and pulled her in for another kiss, this one more heated and frantic, with roaming hands and playful tongues.

If it wasn't for Dig and Roy returning to the foundry about an hour later, things would have escalated into things that, in hindsight, they were both glad it didn't. That should be special, and definitely NOT in the foundry. The rest of the night, Felicity didn't leave Oliver's side and they were always touching. As small as a hand on a shoulder or linked fingers to long hugs and sweet kisses. It was new territory that both of them delighted in and neither of them were gonna let go anytime soon.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Anonymous said:**__ Ok so I've just started with this fic thing, the mid season break was to hard to handle without them...I've already send this prompt to an other blog but I'm not sure if she still accepting them. Is it bad if I request it to you? Anyway here it is: Felicity's place is compromised by some bad guys hunting her so she has to spend the night at the lair. She asks Oliver to go for her jammies or she won't be able to sleep. P.S you are great!_

"Oliver! I know it's not safe, but if I'm gonna stay here I'm gonna need my stuff."

Oliver's jaw tightened and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"No. I'm not doing it."

"I agreed to stay here in this cold, dark basement until we got things figured out, but I'm going to need some pajama's. And clothes. And Shoes. And maybe some make-up."

She stepped closer to him, narrowing her eyes a little and tucking her finger inside the pocket of his green leather jacket. "And…" She looked up to meet his gaze.

"Lingerie." She dragged out the word and bit her lip seductively.

He smirked and shrugged. "You really don't need that…"

Diggle rolled his eyes. "Guys. Not now, please."

Felicity chuckled and smiled at him over her shoulder before turning back to Oliver.

"Please, Oliver. I can't live like a caveman down here. I am a woman, I need my stuff."

Oliver groaned and threw his head back. "Fine. I'll go get it."

He stepped closer to her and put his hands on her cheeks, lightly cupping her face. "What I'd do for you." he whispered, pulling her close to peck her on the lips. She hummed low in her throat and smiled.

"It's because you love me." She chuckled.

"Yeah I do." He kissed her again and then let go to go fetch her stuff from her apartment. There had been several break-ins in her building, resulting in a death, even, and Oliver didn't want her near that place until they caught the guy.

"You got that boy whipped." Diggle joked when Oliver had dissapeared up the stairs.

"Isn't is awesome?" Felicity laughed. Sitting down in her chair, swiveling around to start up some searches and facial recognition scans to find the burgler and the murderer of Ms. Fernandez' cat.

When Oliver came back, he politely ordered Diggle to get the hell out of the foundry and go home to Lyla. It was his way for asking him to leave him and Felicity alone. Diggle just shook his head and left.

Oliver dropped the duffel bag on his workstation and pulled out a set of matching dark green panties and a bra.

"I didn't know you had these." He said, his voice husky.

Felicity grinned wickedly and stood up, slowly making her way over to him. Pace agonizingly slow, but Oliver remained where he stood, with the lacy garments in his hands. One of her hands traveled up his back and around his shoulder. She leaned against him, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"You wanna see them on me?" She whispered.

He nodded numbly, she grabbed the garments from him and needless to say, she ended up not needing any pajama's. Sleeping naked and entwined with your partner is better anyway.


	14. Chapter 14

**trashlordmcbakerface asked: **_ok but imagine Felicity in bed reading a book with Oliver on top of her and she has one hand with the book and one hand running and carting oliver's hair. And oliver has his head right on the side of felicity's neck and he kisses her neck and asSDASKHFED._

**MORNING GLOW**

The steady rhythm of her fingers running through his hair halted for a second when he pressed his lips to her collarbone. His breath fanned out over her skin, stubble lightly scratching the softness. His index finger traced along the column of her throat and down her left shoulder. A flush started spreading across her chest and the book in her hands twitched as she flexed her fingers. She lightly scratched the back of his head, indicating that she didn't want him to stop, eliciting a low hum from his throat. She licked her lips as he moved his upward to where her throat and shoulder were joined.

His hand slipped underneath the sheets, fingers fluttering down her side, circling her hipbone with his thumb. She was melting underneath his touch.

It had been three months. Three whole, agonizingly tense months since he'd been back. Felicity had been overjoyed when he had returned, but their path to find each other had never been an easy one. It took them a little while to get back into their normal pattern. _If_ that could have been called normal at all.

Oliver's head came to rest right over her heart, so he could listen to it beating. He closed his eyes and kissed her sternum. He could hear her heartbeat increasing as he did, making him smile. Her nails ran lightly over his scalp again as his hand ran down her thigh to the underside of her knee and _hitching_ it up.

The previous night could easily be described as the best night Felicity had ever had the _pleasure_ –pun intended– of experiencing. She didn't recall exactly how it happened, but Oliver was kissing her and all her worries were vaporizing into thin air. She forgot about Ra's al Ghul and Malcolm Merlyn. Forgot about Ray and his prototype suit. Forgot about Laurel and her new persona and forgot about why she should not be kissing Oliver Queen right now.

It was all very slow, and very sweet. With soft kisses, gentle touches and a slow and _sensuous_ rhythm. It was perfect for a first night spent together. For a split second after he wrapped her in his arms she wondered if he would flee from her bed before the sun would rise, but that thought quickly faded away as he started whispering reassuring words into her hair. She had never felt more safe than with his arm tightly wrapped around her middle and his bare chest pressed against her bare back. He kissed her neck and whispered a goodnight and they fell asleep. Easy like that.

She had woken up with that same warm, happy feeling and it grew even stronger after she realized he was still by her side. They had moved in their sleep. Oliver lying on his back, his arms still banded around her waist, and her hand splayed across his chest. He hadn't woken yet, and when she looked at him, looking so utterly peaceful, well, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Her hand traveled down to the long jagged scar across his midriff, the puckered skin sending a strange sensation through her fingertips. Oliver hummed lowly, but she didn't stop. Not until he took hold of her wrist, stilling her movements and then taking her hand, the calloused pad of his thumb exploring the ridged of Felicity's palm.

"I don't like that one." He whispered.

She propped herself up on his chest so she could look him in the eyes. Leaning in, she pressed a kiss to his jaw and rested her forehead against his cheekbone. That smell, the one that was so uniquely Oliver filled her brain and she sighed.

"Mmhh…I know…"

The hand he wasn't holding moved to his shoulder and up to where his shoulder joined his throat to find another little bump along his otherwise smooth skin. The scar that had been left there by none other than Moira Queen. The wound that had him end up in the backseat of her car on a cold _Wednesday_ night. The first of many she would help to patch up.

"You like this one?" She asked, lifting her head so she could look at him.

He nodded and smiled at her, letting go of her hand to capture her chin between two fingers and pull her down for a kiss. His free hand running along her spine, making her shudder in _delight_.

They had spent the entire day in bed, _naked._ Why bother putting on clothes when you are gonna take them off again anyways? And it's not like either one of them were too shy or uncomfortable. To be honest, they had never felt more connected, _joined_ _together_ in every way.

And know, almost twenty four hours after all of this was set into motion, Felicity was trying to read a book. She had way too little time to do that anymore because of her two demanding jobs, and a day off was usually the perfect time for that. Just not this day of _getting off_.

With a thud, she dropped her book back on the nightstand as his fingers traveled upwards along the inside of her thigh. She bit her lip and squirmed underneath him, aching for his touch.

"Damnit, Oliver." She muttered before shifting in his embrace and taking his face in both of her hands, pulling him up so she could kiss him. His weight settled on top of her and she could feel him against her thigh, only serving to distract her more.

He pulled her closer, hands splayed across her back, finding the one little scar on her shoulder blade. One of her arms snaked around his neck as she kissed him with everything that she had, simultaneously wrapping her leg around his waist, creating delightful friction.

"I like this one too." He whispered against her lips and she smiled.


	15. Chapter 15

**HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER**

"Dad?"

"Yes, honey?" Oliver looked up from the newspaper to see his daughter leaning against the doorpost leading into the living room. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she had that signature smile on her face that was so much like her mother's. Sometimes he wondered how time had gone by so fast. Sophie was already in her teens but he could remember every little detail of her being just a baby like it was yesterday.

"I was wondering, and this might be a totally weird question to ask, but how did you and mom meet? I was just curious because I never did hear that story, and ever since I realized I didn't know…I just… You know.."

Oliver chuckled and nodded. Even though Sophie had his hair color and his nose, the babbling was definitely Felicity's. He pulled his feet off the coffee table and put away the newspaper, patting on the couch next to him for her to come sit down.

She pushed off of the doorpost with her hip and made her way towards the couch, crossing her legs under her as she sat down. Oliver draped his arm over the back of the couch and turned towards her.

"So, You know about the shipwreck and the five years I spent on a deserted island."

Sophie nodded and pressed her lips together.

"Well, when I returned home, I had a hard time adjusting. The world had changed while I was gone and so did the people I knew. That wasn't their fault, and I had changed as well but it was hard."

Oliver looked away for a second to regain his composure before meeting Sophie's gaze again.

"My survival instincts told me people were threats."

Sophie's eyebrows knitted together in worry. Felicity and Oliver had decided to tell her about their nighttime activities when she turned sixteen. She was a smart girl and she had figured it out when she was twelve. She had walked into their bedroom on a Sunday morning and straight out asked them where they went every other night or so. The told her the need-to-know only, keeping most of it a secret until she would be old enough. Oliver told her about the island and how he started his crusade and how they were protecting the city from anyone who wanted to harm it. Of course, Sophie had wanted to help, but there was no way that was going to happen. They agreed upon self-defense classes. She was fifteen now, and Oliver figured that she was ready to know a little more.

"At one point, I needed someone with technical expertise to help me fix a laptop. There was no way I could have done that myself. And there was your mother, sitting in her little cubicle, chewing on a pen, babbling her way through our very first conversation. I think that was the first time I genuinely smiled after returning to Starling City."

Sophie smiled and sighed softly. "Did you know? That she would be it for you?"

Oliver shook his head. "At the time, no. But looking back on it, there was just something about her. She was the first person I didn't see as a threat, but as a person. I think I knew."

"Awh, dad." Sophie sighed and put her hand over his.

He chuckled. "I thought it would be a onetime meet, but I kept coming back for help and 6 months later she was helping me keep the city safe. She helped me become the hero I am today. She saw the good in me and decided it was a good idea to fight for that goodness. It took us another three years to actually become a couple but everything moved pretty quickly after that. We got married and then you came along. Uncle Roy started taking more nights so I could be here with you and your mom and things worked well. And now we have you, and your brother and a safe city for you two to grow up in. The way we did it may be unorthodox, but it was worth it."

Sophie smiled again and leaned in to hug her father. Oliver wrapped his arms around his daughter's back. Even though she was growing up faster than you can say 'you have failed this city', she would always be his little girl.

Later that night, Felicity walks up to him in the bathroom adjoining their bedroom. She's in a tank-top and sleep shorts, glasses on her nose and ponytail in her hair. She wraps her arms around his waist from behind, pressing her lips to his shoulder blade.

"Not that I don't appreciate the show of affection, but is everything okay?"

"Mmhh." She nodded, a smile appearing on her lips.

"I overheard your conversation with Sophie earlier."

"Ah-a." He turned in her arms, his hands reaching to cup her face.

She smiled up at him, fingers trailing down his back.

"Looking back on it, I think I knew too." She whispered, pushing up on her tippy toes, pressing her front against his chest and her lips to his.

Oliver chuckled and pulled her into his arms, lifting her off the floor, her legs wrapping around his waist is if it was the easiest thing in the universe. She snaked her arms around his shoulders, one hand running its fingers through his hair as he walked them towards the bedroom, all the while pressing kisses to her lips, jaw, throat and collarbone. Felicity giggled when her back hit the softness of the bed, Oliver hovering over her.

"I love you, Felicity." He whispered, kissing her again.

Felicity reached up, index finger trailing over the soft lines in his face. She smiled and pressed her forehead against his.

"I love you too, Oliver. Even when we're both old and wrinkly."


	16. Chapter 16

_He was excited. Even though he was in some pain and discomfort he was excited because he was coming home to her. But when he got down there she was nowhere around. "Where's Felicity?" He asked. Roy shrugged his shoulders as he was putting his bow up and Diggle walked over to her computers. "She said Ray called and needed help with something. That she'll see me and Roy later." He was looking down at something. Oliver walked over and saw what he was looking at. It was the news article that said he was back. If she saw that then that meant she knew he was home. So why wasn't she down here to see him, to either yell at him or hug him? "Oliver." Diggle showed him a second note that was on the computer. "Guys, we have imposter vigilantes popping up. We're going to need to take care of that." And there was a link to the same news article. "She doesn't think it's me." Oliver whispered. **-FZ**_

"I have to go see her." He muttered.

Diggle and Roy exchanged a look.

"Are you sure that's the best thing to do right now? Maybe you should wait until she gets here." Diggle said. As much as he wanted Felicity to know Oliver was alive, he was sure she was going to be pissed at him on some level and he doubted Palmer Technologies, formerly Queen Consolidated, was the best place for a fallout. Especially if there was a chance Ray would be close. If Oliver was going to tell her he loved her again it shouldn't be with Palmer hovering near.

"It's the only plan, Diggle." Oliver snapped and put his bow back in the glass case Felicity had gotten him 16 months ago. He sighed and turned to his partner.

"I have to see her."

His voice sounded so broken Diggle wasn't physically able to fight him on the matter. He simply jerked his head in the direction of the stairs. "Go. I'll drive you, you can change in the back."

Oliver gave the man a small smile and nodded, grabbing his duffel bag stuffed with a change of clothes and walking up the stairs. Diggle sighed again and shook his head, looking at Roy.

"good luck out there." Roy said, the tiniest glint of a smirk on his face.

Diggle glared at him and rolled his eyes before following Oliver up the stairs.

They got to Queen Consolidated Palmer Technologies twenty minutes later, and Diggle was debating whether or not to go in first to ease Felicity into believing it actually was Oliver rather than just have him show up in her office like 'Guess what?! I'm not dead and I'm here to love you forever.' Oliver on the other hand, had other plans. But that didn't work out either.

"She's not here." Oliver stated. He sounded disappointed.

"I can see that. Let me see if I can find her assistant or something" Diggle said, turning on his heels. He knew exactly where she was and he was going to go get her.

He slumped into one of the chairs near the coffee table in her office. He remembered sitting here with various investors and the like, but also with Felicity. It was one of the very first request he had come to her with, finding Derek Reston and he remembered watching her red lips move while she babbled about something called a face book, wondering what it would be like to kiss them. He didn't of course, the stupid idiot it was until almost two years later. She had been totally worth the wait, though, and even if it didn't end the way he had wanted it too, it was still pretty amazing. He smiled a tiny little smile as he remembered that the night after that meeting in this office he made a facebook account and friended her.

"Oliver? Is that really you?"

He froze, hands stilling their fidgeting. He swallowed hard and slowly, he stood up. Closing his eyes for a second before he turned around and took her in for the first time since he had 'died'. God she was still so beautiful. Her eyes stood weary and he could see her sudden intake of breath as it was her turn to take him in. She swallowed and met his gaze, eyes glinting with tears she was trying to push back.

"It's me. I'm here. I promised you you wouldn't lose me, remember?"

That was it. That was what broke her. She sprinted, as best as she could in six inch heels, and lunged into him, arms wrapping around his waist as she cried into his chest. His arms banded around her almost instantly, burying his nose into her hair, smelling the familiar smell of her floral shampoo. He saw Diggle smile in his peripheral vision before the man turned and walked away slowly to give them some privacy.

"I thought you were gone." She sniffled into his chest.

"I'm not. I'm right here." He said soothingly.

She started pulling away, and reluctantly, he let go of her.

"What happened? How did you survive?"

Oliver let out a breathy laugh. Always curious, that one. "It's a long story."


	17. Chapter 17

**PUT ON YOUR WAR PAINT**

Today was a good day. The sun was out, nice and bright. The weather was warm. A typical summer day in Starling City. The street was busy and children were playing the park across the street. Oliver looked up at the redbrick apartment building and smiled before taking the last box filled with his and Felicity's knickknacks from the car. He impatiently tapped his foot during the short ride up the three floors in the elevator. The door to their new apartment was open. It would have tipped off his survival instincts six years ago, but not today. Today, all was well in Starling City. Not even Slade Wilson could ruin his mood. He walked into the half-painted apartment. It was exactly what they had been looking for, a large open space and even access to the roof. Felicity had gone on and on about how they could have dinner parties and other celebrations up there because the view was simply stunning. Oliver had caved as he imagined having long nights up there with her and a nice bottle of red wine and blankets as they stared up at the stars.

He put the box on the brand new dining table and looked at the woman who he had just been fantasizing about. A smile appeared on his lips as she wiggled her hips to the beat of the music that was playing. She was wearing the most adorable jean dungarees, splattered with different colors of paint, white canvas shoes and a light blue blouse. Her hair was up in a ponytail, her natural curls tickling her neck as she swayed to the music, quietly humming along. She was standing on a stepstool, paint roller covered in a pale blue color in hand.

"Oliver. Stop it with the hovering already." She said, turning her head, flashing him a teasing smile.

She hopped off the stepstool and waggled towards him.

"I'm pregnant, not an invalid." Her hand fell to the top of her ballooning stomach.

He smiled and took hold of her hand, pulling her against him. "I just like watching you dance."

"Oh do you?" She took a small step back and tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, glancing up at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "well you better start helping me paint because otherwise we are never going to get this done before the baby comes."

"And then..." She let go of his hand and twirled around. "You can watch me dance all you want."

Oliver groaned and threw his head back as he imagined all the ways she'd danced for him.

"Let's go, mister!" Felicity called, turning back to half painted wall and covering it in some more blue paint. But Oliver had other ideas. He grabbed her hand and spun her around and into his arms, handing quickly finding the small of her back.

"Damnit Oliver." She cursed under her breath, a smile appearing on her lips. It was really hard to argue with him when he was wearing that blue plaid button down. The same one he wore when he asked her on their not so successful first date. She loved that shirt on him, and it would be a shame if there were to get paint on it….or would it… He stared at her, grinning, daring her to do it. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. She would not let him get away with it that easy. Before she knew she was doing it, the paint roller travelled up his sleeve, along his shoulder and up the side of his face. His eyes went wide but he didn't move or make a sound.

"That's what you get, Queen."

Oliver smirked at her and leaned down to press a kiss onto the tip of her nose. She scrunched up her face and squirmed away from him, giggling.

"You look so cute when you do that." Leaning in again and peppering her face with kisses.

"You are such a big sap, you know that right?" She said, running her fingers through the short hairs on the back of his head.

Oliver smirked and bumped noses with her. "You love me anyways."

"Yeah I do." She nodded and dropped the paint roller to the newspaper covered floor, wrapping her arms around his waist. She reached up onto her tippy toes and pressed her lips to his.

"Fifty bucks says your daughter will do the scrunchy face too when you kiss her nose."

"Oh I am not betting against that one." He whispered before kissing her again. Felicity chuckled as his lips moved to her neck and he nuzzled his nose into her hair. She started screaming when he started rubbing his paint covered cheek against hers. She tried to get away, but his hold was too strong until he let go of her so she could retaliate and they engaged in a full on paint-war.

Oliver was right not to accept that bet. And they did manage to get the apartment fully painted before their little girl arrived.


	18. Chapter 18

_**This one is not pretend **__(Look how far we've come)_

"Arrghh! I can't take it anymore!" She exclaimed, pausing the movie they had been watching, some sci-fi thing they must have watched over a hundred times because Felicity loves it. Oliver still doesn't know what's it about. He always has something blonde that's way more interesting to focus his attention on.

She ran her hands over her face in frustration and stood up, leaving a very confused Oliver with an empty lap where she was supposed to be sitting. She stalked out of their living room. It still makes him smile to think of it as theirs, because only a few years ago he would have never have been able to imagine he would be here, with a beautiful, smart, amazing woman that took his breath away at least once every single day. He never believed in it when people talked about true love. That was until he met Felicity. He couldn't imagine being with anybody but her.

"Felicity?" He followed her into their bedroom. His heart stuttered at the thought. They had been living together for a few months now. Before that, he had basically made her tiny apartment his home until they found the new place.

"Felicity are you alright?" He called out. The bedroom was empty, but a beam of light peeked out from underneath the adjoined bathroom-door.

She rushed back into the bedroom, eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. It was utterly adorable but Oliver knew he had other things to focus on. There was something going on with her and he was going to find out. She came to a sudden stop just before crashing face first into his chest. She jerked backwards, creating some distance between them and clutched her hands behind her back. Oliver's eyebrows knitted together. He advanced on her carefully.

"Hey..." He said, his voice soft. "What's going on with you?"

He put his hands on her shoulders, thumbs tracing slow circles and a tiny smile appeared on his lips and it seemed to ease the worry in her eyes. "And don't say nothing."

She swallowed and tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, ducking her head nervously before looking him in the eyes for a moment. Oliver narrowed his eyes out of curiosity, trying to figure out what she was being so frantic about.

Before he realized what she was doing she took his hand off of her shoulder and shoved something in it. She was biting her lip again, never breaking eye-contact. Her fingers closed his fist around the object, lingering on his hands before she nodded shortly and took a step back. His other hand fell off of her shoulder too as she did. Finally, he tore his gaze off of her and opened his fist to look at the item he was holding. Oh he definitely knew what that was.

He used to dread seeing these things when he was younger. It would have been the ultimate misstep for his playboy persona. But, now that the white plastic stick lay in the palm of his hand, a strange calm washed over him. He took the thing between his fingers and shot her a look, eyebrows raised.

"Well?" She asked. An arm wrapped around her middle while she was biting her thumb nail, waiting for his answer. Oliver had to blink twice because he swore for a second he could see her with a distinct baby bump.

He let out a breathy laugh and shook his head, smiling. "It's positive."

Felicity scoffed and threw her hands up. "Yes, I know that…but…."

He knew what she was about to ask, but the question went unasked. Of course he wanted it. With her, he would want a hundred babies. He could already imagine little blonde heads running around the house. His heart grew three sizes.

"Felicity." He whispered, smile on his face growing bigger and bigger. He closed the distance between them, taking her hands in his, shoving the pregnancy test in his back pocket. He was going to keep that.

"I couldn't be happier." He said, shaking his head again before resting his forehead against her. She sighed in relief and leaned into him.

"I love you, Felicity. And this baby." Like it had a mind of its own, his hand moved to cover her stomach. She let out a shaky laugh

"I love you too, Oliver." She whispered, leaning into him and he realized she was crying.

"Hey. It's okay. We're gonna be okay." He whispered into her hair, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him.

"It's not that. I believe in us. But I was so worried about how you would react. I was afraid that you thought it would be too dangerous and I guess I kind of panicked. I even took like twelve of those stupid test to be sure. Basically robbed the whole convenience store. And to talk about how much water I had to drink to even use all of them. I don't know why but I didn't even think about the possibility that you could want to have a baby. It's so stupid."

Oliver pressed a kiss to her forehead and she hummed in approval. "It's not stupid. I know I can be a bit overprotective at times."

Her eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "A bit?"

"Okay, a lot. But like you said, I believe in us too. And if there is anyone that I get to start a family with, I want it to be you. So Felicity, you just made me the happiest man on the planet."

She smiled up at him, placing her hand over his cheek and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him. His arm tightened around her waist and pulled her against him.

"And really? Twelve?" He asked playfully.

She groaned and buried her face in his shoulder. Oliver's chest rumbled with laughter as he pressed kisses into her hair.


	19. Chapter 19

She opened her eyes quickly when she came to, blinking twice against the bright light in her office. She met his gaze almost instantly, maybe because his blue orbs were only a few inches away from her. Their distress evident, worry written all over his face. His featured softened as she smiled up at him.

"What happened?" She asked quietly, moving her hand over his bicep.

"You fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn't have to go to such extremes."

Felicity narrowed her eyes and stared up at him. She pursed her lips and shook her head a little. He beamed down at her. "Damn you, Oliver. Your child is doing this to me, I did not just faint because I need my husband to give me more attention."

His hands around her waist tightened a little as he dipped her a little lower, lips -curled into a mischievous smirk- inching closer to hers.

"Not that it isn't a nice side-effect. And I appreciate the form. Did you have ballroom classes when you were younger? You did, didn't you?!" She laughed at him, making his own heart flutter at the sound.

"Anything for my glowing wife." He said, making her blush and finally closing the gap between their lips. Felicity locked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

"Now." He said as they parted and he pulled her back to her feet. "You really should eat something. Or maybe walk around a little once in a while instead of sitting for hours at a time. Or maybe just lie down for a little while. But not on your back, I read that in the second and third trimester the size of your uterus can cut off the blood flow back to your heart if you lie on your back. And we…"

Felicity placed a hand on his cheek and smiled at him softly.

"we don't want that." He finished.

She nodded and snaked her arms around his waist, stepping onto her tiptoes to lightly peck his lips. "I know. It's gonna be fine. I think I just stood up a little too fast, that's all. I love you for being a concerned father to be but I really wanna get that lunch you promised me. Because I am indeed starving."

Oliver sighed and leaned in to kiss the top of her head. "Of course."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, tucking her into his side, one of her hands falling to the top of her ballooning stomach as they walked out of Felicity's office.


	20. Chapter 20

"Boo."

Oliver peeked from behind his hands and smiled at the giggling baby boy in the navy blue bouncer seat. Little Tommy squirmed in his seat, reaching for his dad. but Oliver was not done playing his game and he hid his face behind his hands again.

"Peek-a-" He paused for a second, awaiting the baby's squeals of anticipation.

"Boo." He said, pulling his hands away from his face again and reaching out to his son, tickling him before pulling him out of the seat and holding him up above his head. The little boy laughed, making grabby hands at his father. Oliver lowered him slowly, peppering kisses all over Tommy's chubby cheeks.

"Man, I could watch this for hours." He heard an all too familiar voice say behind him, just loud enough so he could hear her over his son's squealing.

Oliver placed Tommy against his chest and stood up, walking up to his wife and wrapping his free arm around her waist. Tommy raised his hand and touched her cheek. Felicity smiled at the incredibly sweet display of affection and took his little hand between her fingers and kissed it. Tommy squirmed and hid his face in Oliver's chest. Felicity chuckled and leaned her head against Oliver's shoulder, softly stroking Tommy's back with her hand. Oliver bent down to kiss the top of her head, tightening his hold on her a little. She hummed in approval. It didn't need to be said for both of them to know just how extraordinarily happy they were in that moment.

Oliver never, especially not after he came back from Lian Yu, imagined that one day he could be married with a beautiful baby boy. This happy little family had snuck up on him and he couldn't be happier.


	21. Chapter 21

"Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"

"Did you sneak a peek Felicity?" Oliver smirked at her from behind his book. Yeah. Oliver Queen was actually reading a book.

She rolled her eyes and pulled her robe tighter around herself.

"Geez. Oliver. You left your freaking boxers on the bathroom floor you caveman!"

"oops." He shrugged and chuckled.

Felicity narrowed her eyes, putting a hand on her waist.

"You're the one who screwed up the reservations. I'm starting to think you did it on purpose."

"Now why would I do that?" Oliver raised an eyebrow, that same wicked gleam in his eyes that she couldn't quite place. He was up to something. That she was sure of.

"Just so you could tease me with your naked butt in my bed."

"our bed." He corrected

Felicity threw up her hands in exasperation, letting go of her robe in the process, revealing her lacy nightgown. She wasn't expecting to be sharing a bed with Oliver when she was packing for this trip. A trip that turned out to be extremely useless as their target had changed plans at the last possible seconds, putting them all on edge, slightly more annoyed than usual. Oliver had let out some steam on the run he took through the city, but she was sure something drastic had changed in his mindset that he was now so utterly at ease. Oliver was never at ease. At least not like this.

"OH MY GOD. That is not what you should be focusing on now, Oliver."

He smirked at her and put the book he'd been reading on the nightstand. Felicity crossed her arms over chest and shot him an annoyed glance.

"What are you doing?"

He was pulling the covers away from himself.

"Oh no. Oliver. do not." She slammed a hand over eyes.

She heard the low rumble of his laughter. He walked over to her, standing only inches away from him. She could feel the warmth radiating off of him in waves.

"Felicity." He said lowly, his amusement evident in his voice. "Open your eyes."

"No. You're standing there, naked. I'm not looking. nope."

He takes her wrist in his hands and tugs at it, pulling her hand away from her eyes.

"I'm messing with you."

Of course, her eyes immediately drop. And yes, thank god, he's wearing another pair of boxers. Light blue, like the shirts that look so amazingly good on him. And she'll go to hell because it looks even better downstairs. She exhales loudly and presses her lips together. She feels herself flush as her eyes trace the deep v that dips below the waistband of his boxers. Swallowing hard, she looks up at him, and is greeted by that damn smirk. Why does he have to look so damn good.

They've been walking the same thin path they walked a year ago, growing closer, aware of each other's feelings this time, but never acting upon them. They hadn't been in any mortal danger in a while and life was good. They were on good terms again, but that last step towards starting a relationship always seemed a bit hard for them. Last time they had given it a try it had resulted in that disaster of a first date.

"Oh screw it." she whispered before reaching up, cupping his face and crushing her lips against his.

Oliver was stunned for a second, before responding with his arms wrapping around her, pulling her front flush against his chest. His lips moved against hers, tongue darting out to trace along the seam of her lips. She opened up to him swiftly, fingers scratching through the short strands of hair at the back of his head. He moaned in response, sending a delightful shiver down her spine.

His hands were on her shoulders, nudging the silk robe off her shoulders. She quickly threw it off, clutching at his biceps as he latched his lips onto her throat. She sighed, throwing her head to the side so he head easier access. His hands moved over her body, along her spine, over the curve of her ass and down her thighs. His hold on her tightened and he lifted her up, pulling her legs around his waist with ease. She took his chin and pressed her lips back against his.

He walked them to the bed, setting her down carefully, hovering over her, gazing into her eyes. All that raging passion had dissipated into something much more. She nodded once and that was all the permission he needed. Oliver leaned down and kissed her, slowly, languidly, drawing out little moans. His lips moved from hers to her throat to her collarbone to the valley between her breasts. Fingers skirting the hem of her nightgown, teasing it up slowly before swiftly removing it from her body altogether. Felicity gazed up at him, eyes big in wonder, cheeks and chest flushed. He had never seen anything that beautiful. He quickly kissed her lips, smiling at her and moving back down her body, paying proper attention to each nipple, making her back arch off the bed.

His teeth grazed her hipbone. She squirmed underneath his touch and it was absolutely delightful.

"Please, Oliver." She whispered.

He couldn't deny her. He hadn't ever before. Hooking his fingers into the thin material of her panties he dragged them down her legs in one swift movements. Deciding he would stop torturing, he traced one and then two fingers across her center, teasing them inside of her and joining in with his tongue, swirling around her clit before gently sucking the sensitive little nub into his mouth. Felicity gasped loudly.

"Please, Oliver. I need you." She panted.

He moved upward, hovering over her again. He kissed her cheek and whispered something in her ear. Then he was gone, only to return less than a minute later with the familiar sound of ripping condom packaging. Felicity pushed herself up and grabbed the rubber from his hand.

"Let me." She said huskily, smiling up at him through her lashes.

He chuckled, her fingers tracing along his abs, hooking her fingers into the waistband of his boxers, pulling it down in one swift move. She bit her bottom lip, smiling up at him with a devilish glint behind her eyes as she slowly rolled the condom onto him. He groaned as she reached the base, sitting up on her knees so she was at eye-level with him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled her front flush against his, leaning in to kiss him. His hands fell to her waist and in the next moment she was lying under him, catching her breath.

"Oliver." She called out as he positioned himself at her entrance. They groaned in unison as he pushed into her, setting a slow pace, speeding it up little by little. Felicity's heels dug into his back, her fingers scratching at his back. It was so unbelievably hot. He kissed her hard, flicking a nipple with his thumb, making her arch off the bed, changing the angle ever so slightly that it felt like he moved even deeper inside of her than before, hitting just the right spot judging by her screams. He reached between them, to where their bodies were joined, flicking her little bundle of nerves between his fingers.

She cried out his name as she came. Hard. Her inner muscles tightened around him, allowing him to follow her example not too many thrusts later.

Neither of them moved, liking the feeling of being so connected. Oliver braced himself over her, elbows on either side of her face. She was stroking his sides as they were catching their breaths.

"wow." she whispered breathlessly, laughing a little.

"Yeah." He replied, smiling down at her and leaning down to kiss her. Slowly, he moved out of her to get rid of the condom, but he wasn't gone for long. He laid down next to her. She turned to lie on her side and one of her hands moved to the back of his head, nails lightly scratching across his scalp.

"Oliver?" She asked, looking up at him with those beautiful blue orbs.

"Yeah?"

"I love you, too, you know." She pressed her lips together in anticipation.

"For a while now, actually, and I know you've said the words to me often enough, I could never really say it back. But I love you, Oliver."

"I know." He said, pulling her closer to him and kissing her forehead.

"I never said it to hear it back. I said because I needed you to know. And my timing has always been pretty shitty, I admit."

He kissed the tip of her nose, making her scrunch up her face. Possibly the most adorable thing he'd ever seen.

"So, Felicity Smoak, may my timing not be complete crap this time. I love you."

She smiled so brightly it could have lit up the entire city. She kissed him with all she had left and started the fire that would end up in round two.


	22. Chapter 22

"I think I'm in love with you and I'm terrified."

A deafening silence filled the room. Felicity's living room. In which they were currently standing. Oliver swallowed. He had never imagined the impact those words would have on him. He had imagined her saying them so many times, in different situations and he would swoop her into his arms and kiss her senseless but now that it was actually happening, he wasn't so sure what to do.

They had just had one of the biggest fights they had ever had. Oliver had come to tell her that he was accepting Ra's offer and would become the next Ra's Al Ghul. Of course, she had used her loud voice to convince him that it was not the right decision, calling him numerous names. That in turn, made him angry, not really at her but more at the lack of options he had. Felicity had burst out into tears and gone extremely quiet except for the occasional hiccup and sniffle. Then she had uttered those words, barely above a whisper and Oliver felt like time had stopped.

His fingers automatically started rubbing together in agitation. Felicity tucked her bottom lip between her teeth and looked away, wrapping her arms a little tighter around herself. Her hair swished around her shoulders as she started shaking her head, reaching up to wipe the tears from her face with the edge of her sleeve.

"Felicity." He said softly, stepping closer.

She stopped him, shaking her head.

"Please, Oliver. I need you to hear this."

Finally, she looked him in the eye again, holding his gaze while he nodded. "Yeah. Of course."

He held up his hand in a gesture suggesting the floor was all hers and took a small step backwards to give her space. Felicity swallowed hard and sighed.

"I'm terrified that you're gonna leave me again. You promised me that I would never lose you, and yet you keep pushing me away. I keep wanting to protect my heart from you, because I know we can't be together now. Maybe not ever. You pushed me away after our first date and then you died. I thought I could never tell you how much I care about you and that was the worst kind of pain I have ever felt. We got you back, but I didn't. And then I was foolish enough to let myself think you wouldn't leave again and we would have a second chance together."

She scoffed and shook her head. "Stupid." She muttered. Oliver felt like his heart was being stomped on. He had made so many mistakes in the past year and apologizing would never be enough.

"I thought I could forget about you. If I had someone else It would drown out the heartbreak you left behind. I thought I had found that in Ray, but he knew something was up between us when he saw us dancing at the wedding so that didn't work out."

She took another step forward, closing the distance between them inch by inch.

"But I'm not about to make the same mistake of letting you go without telling you that I love you, Oliver Queen."

She was crying again. And so was he. She reached out to touch his cheek and he immediately leaned into her touch. She wiped away a single tear with her thumb, a sad smile curling onto her lips.

"Oliver this may be selfish, but please don't go. You don't have to do this. We can figure something out. Together."

"Felicity, I'm scared too. I'm scared that he's gonna hurt you, or Thea or anyone else if I don't take the offer."

He closed his hand around hers, pulling her closer.

"I can't lose you again, Oliver."

She moved her free hand to the other side of his face and lifted onto her tiptoes.

"I'm not letting you leave again." She whispered and then she was kissing him. He was completely frozen for a moment, reveling in the soft touch of her lips on his. Slowly he bent down a little so she had easier access and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. Their lips moved together slowly, languidly, with passion coming from sadness rather than arousal.

"I love you, Felicity." He whispered between kisses.

"I'm not gonna leave you again."

A choked laugh escaped from her lips as she moved her arms around his neck and pulled him impossibly closer.

"I love you, Oliver. We'll think of something."

He smiled and kissed her again. "Together."


	23. Chapter 23

"Hey, have you seen the..? _Oh_."

Oliver cocked his head to the side, taking in the sight before him. He completely forgot what he was about to ask. All he could see was Felicity, in yoga shorts and a sports bra, standing in the downward dog position, her glorious butt on full display. He didn't know how long he watched her, but he was sure that this woman would be the absolute death of him.

"Have I seen what?"

"Uhm. The...uhm..." He pointed his thumb back at the kitchen, but he honestly couldn't remember what he had been doing less than a minute ago.

Felicity's back arched into a sun greeting and Oliver's mouth started watering. He watched her move on the pink yoga mat. He swallowed, scrambling for words.

"Oliver? You okay there?"

Felicity stood up, ponytail swinging with her movement. She bounced towards him and that's when he knew. He looked into her eyes and that that innocent smile gave her away right away. She knew exactly what she was doing to him. He cleared his throat and nodded.

"I was just looking for the oven mitts." He said, nodding to himself.

"I thought you were cooking. They're in the far right cupboard. I think you might have to hurry though, smells like something's burning."

His eyes widened as his nose registered the smell of smoke.

"crap." He muttered.

Felicity laughed and skipped towards the bathroom to take a shower.

"You're welcome to join me after you've cleaned that up! You know, so we can get rid of the smell." She called out, giggling.

Cursing under his breath, Oliver hurried back into the kitchen, taking the oven mitts and barely saving the cookies he'd been baking. They were a little blackened, but still edible. He ran a hand over his face, took a deep breath, licked his lips and walked towards the bathroom. She was going to pay for letting big scary vigilante Oliver Queen burn his baked goods.


	24. Chapter 24

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Felicity was staring at him in disbelief. He could not be serious right now. Her mouth was hanging open, eyes wide, hands hanging mid-air.

"Oliver! She is five! You cannot take her to a freaking archery range!"

He shrugged. "She's a natural."

"NOT THE POINT, MR. QUEEN."

Oliver swallowed. He was in trouble. Felicity only called him Mr. Queen when she was extremely aroused or extremely angry. And even though her anger was turning him on, he doubted she was feeling the same way.

"MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY!" Hurdling in came 5 year-old Sophie Queen, a mess of strawberry blond curls and uncoordinated limbs.

"Mommy, look! I hit the bullseye!" The little girl jumped up and down in front of her mom, proudly showing her the thick paper riddled with holes.

Felicity can't help but sigh and surrender to her daughter's baby blue's. She crouched down so she could get on eye-level with Sophie and smiled softly.

"I am so proud of you sweetie." She said, puling the girl into a hug and pressing a sloppy kiss to her cheek.

"EW MOMMY!" Sophie screeched as she wiped at her cheek and wriggled herself out of Felicity's hold. Felicity laughed as the girl bolted up the stairs, screeching turned into giggles.

Felicity chuckled and stood back up to see Oliver leaning against the door jamb with a cocky smile on his face.

"Oh I'm not done with you." She said, narrowing her eyes and taking a step closer.

Oliver quirked up his eyebrow and smirked. "I hope not."

She rolled her eyes and gasped when he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her against him. "Oliver, I'm serious. It's too dangerous."

"Felicity. She was perfectly safe. I was there to protect her." She scoffed.

"I wouldn't let anything happen to her, you know that."

He started tracing circles across her back with his thumbs, softly caressing her sking through her jumper.

"Besides, she loved it. I have never seen her that excited before."

She let out a huff of air and tilted her head to the side. "Fine. Okay. Just, next time, tell me. So I can come and see it."

A bright smile cracked open Oliver's face, his arms tightening around her. Felicity's hands moved up his arms and around his shoulders as he leaned into kiss her. She hummed against his lips, fingers carding through the short hair at the back of his head.

"Blegh! Can you guys make out somewhere else?"

Felicity blushed and started chuckling, pulling away from Oliver's lips, but not stepping out of his arms.

"Good afternoon to you too, Tommy." She said smiling.

The twelve year-old rolled his eyes and huffed.

"Did you enjoy going to the archery range with your dad?" Felicity asked.

Tommy rolled his eyes again and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Sure, whatever. I'm gonna go work on my motherboard if you don't mind." He said and followed his sister up the stairs.

"Hmm." Felicity said, turning back to Oliver. "He looks a lot less excited than his sister."

Oliver smirked. "Let's just say he got more of your smarts than my archery skills."

She frowned and then quirked up an eyebrow.

Oliver leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Sophie beat him."

A chuckle escaped from her lips, her head falling forward against his shoulder.

"Awh, poor thing." She snickered. She felt bad for her son, but also couldn't be prouder of her daughter in that moment.


	25. Chapter 25

"Just once." Felicity pleaded, pushing out her bottom lip in an adorable pout Oliver simply couldn't say no to. She was well aware of this fact.

Oliver quirked up an eyebrow, arms crossed over his chest. "Why would you wanna learn how to use a bow?"

"Because. It looks so hot when you shoot it." Felicity rolled her eyes as if she had just had to explain something so obvious it didn't need an explanation.

Oliver's chest rumbled with laughter, the warm sound filling the foundry, echoing off the walls. "Fine."

He took a step closer to her, getting in her personal space. "But you are going to have to teach me how to hack. Cause that happens to look super hot as well."

Felicity chuckled and nodded, narrowing her eyes a little as if to defy him. "Alright. You got yourself a deal, Mr. Queen. Sharing our strengths, I like it."

"Isn't that what marriage is all about, Mrs. Queen?"

Laughing, Felicity pushed up on her tiptoes to kiss her husband, loosely wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "You are such a sap."

Oliver's hands fell to her waist. "Before we take this any further, I think you should start with the recurve. The compound is easier to shoot, but the recurve actually teaches you the skill."

He pulled away from her, a soft mewl of disappointment escaping from her throat at the loss of his body against hers. He was back a second later, holding the old and weathered bow from the island and a quiver filled with arrows.

"Take off your shoes, you are going to need a strong stance."

Grabbing his lower arm for support, she did as she was told, toeing off her red Mary Janes. That's how she lost another five inches in height, her head barely reaching Oliver's shoulder. Placing his hands on her shoulders he turned her around so they were front to back, holding the bow in front of her.

"Alright, now take the grip in your left hand." He whispered huskily in her ear, making a delicious shiver run down her spine.

"And keep that arm straight." He said.

She did as he instructed while ever so slightly leaning into his body warmth, pressing her back against his chest. Oliver pulled an arrow from the quiver strapped to his back and nocked it for her, taking her right hand and placing her index finger above the fletching, and her middle and ring finger under it. His hand hovered over hers on the grip as he helped her pull back the string.

"Now, take a deep breath, focus on your target and just…let go."

The arrow flew across the foundry before she even knew she had let go. It hit it's mark, one of the training targets, dead on, just ever so slightly off the bullseye. Felicity jumped up, squealing happily as she threw herself into Oliver's arms. The bow clattered to the ground and the quiver soon followed as they started pulling at each other clothes before you could say 'careful with that'.

When they were done blessing every flat surface available Oliver smirked at her and said: "You were right, It really does look hot."


	26. Chapter 26

"Hey, I'm with you, okay? Always." Oliver took her hand, clenching his jaw at the sheer force she put on her hold on him.

"YES, Oliver I know. That's what the ring on my finger is for, BUT THAT REALLY ISN'T HELPING RIGHT NOW." She was breathing heavily, sweat dripping off of her forehead.

"Felicity. Hey, look at me. Tell me, what can I do to make this better." He said, reaching out to wipe a wet cloth across her forehead.

"I don't know, Oliver!" She bit back, before another wave of pain had her arching off the bed and cursing out the most offensive of curse words. She fell back against the bed with a heavy sigh, trying to catch her breath.

"Maybe get yourself sterilized cause I AM NEVER DOING THIS AGAIN. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

Oliver sighed softly and shook his head. "Loud and clear ma'am." He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand and reached out to brush some of the stray strands of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail out of her face.

"Hey. Felicity, look at me." her blue eyes met his, and he could see the distress in them. She was in pain and there was nothing else that he could to than hold her hand and be there for her. Her cheeks were bright red from exertion. For a split second Oliver thought about how gorgeous she looked.

"You are doing great." He whispered, pressing the wet cloth against her forehead again. She sighed in content, the coolness refreshing against her hot skin.

"You're almost there, Felicity. Just a few more pushes." The doctor called out from the foot of the bed.

"Are you ready? 3, 2, 1. And push!"

About an hour or two later, the room was very quiet. Felicity was lying on her side, Oliver crammed next to her in the hospital bed, their newborn sleeping on his chest. Felicity couldn't stop touching the little girl, stroking her little chubby cheek, touching her tiny fingers, her fingers running over the softest skin. She didn't care that her hair was a mess or that she was probably really smelly from all the sweat, or that her stomach looked like a hot floppy mess, cause it had created this tiny little human. This tiny little baby girl who already had both her parents wrapped her her little fingers. Oliver was stroking slow circles across her back as she slept, his free arm wrapped around his wife.

Felicity looked up at him and smiled a little. His daughter had his full attention.

"Okay, maybe you shouldn't get sterilized. I think I'm willing to go through this hell again if it means we'll get to have another little miracle." She whispered.

Oliver looked at her and smiled. "I'm with you."

"Always." Felicity answered and reached up to cup his cheek, softly pressing her lips against his.


	27. Chapter 27

It's not like she hasn't noticed before. Oh she has _definitely_ noticed how amazing Oliver Queen's ass looks. She's noticed it multiple times. Well, if she was being totally honest, _all_ the time. On various flat —and non-flat— surfaces. It was just very difficult to look away once her eyes focused on that particular part of his body. It took a lot of restraint and will-power. And with him, right there, in the shower, soap dripping over the delicious curves and edges of his body as he was washing off the sweat and dirt from a long patrol, it made her mouth absolutely water.

Oh god. She scolded herself as her mind wandered to his ass in those damned leather pants. Her hesitance, though, was fleeting as her gaze shifted from Oliver's (ridiculously inviting) behind to her own reflection and she startled at herself. Her cheeks were flaming red, her eyes so dark that if Oliver could have seen her right then, there was no way they were gonna make it to _their_ engagement party in time. Thea would be so mad after all the effort she put into making the whole thing perfect.

Felicity unconsciously bit her lip as she let her mind slip into more wonderful memories.

Oliver in cargo pants as he was training, hitting that ridiculously enormous tire with a sledgehammer. She still had no idea how they even got that thing in there, but it always gives her a wonderful view so she wasn't going to object to it.

Oliver on the salmon ladder, his muscles coiling as he pulled himself up on another bar.

OH GOD—Oliver in sweatpants, the way the hugged his hips just right, her brain could recall every little detail. Every fold, every bulge, every curve. Felicity felt the heat pooling low in her belly and griped the edge of the sink to steady herself. She was in so much trouble. As she remembered Oliver in a tux, with his suspenders (THOSE GODDAMN SUSPENDERS), she knew she was done for. They were never gonna make it to the party on time if she had anything to say about it.

The water was suddenly shut off, pulling Felicity's attention back to the shower. She was so, royally screwed. Oliver was drying off, the muscles on his back coiling as he moved. Felicity swallowed, the lipstick in her hand hanging mid-air, completely forgotten as she stared at her fiancé's ass.

She blushed and averted her eyes as she met Oliver's gaze in the mirror. He smirked, wrapping the towel he'd been using low around his hips. (And that image beat out the sweatpants one). She shifted her stance in front of the mirror, trying to focus on the lipstick abandoned in her palm and ignoring the flush of her skin.

Walking up to her, Oliver's smirk still held in place, and he pressed a kiss to her cheek, his hands finding her waist, thumbs gently stroking the soft skin her backless dress exposed.

She looked so beautiful in white.

"Enjoying the view, Miss Smoak?"

She scoffed and met his eyes through the mirror. Smiling, she leaned back into him, her back making contact with his chest. Her heartbeat stuttered in her chest at the contact and she looked away for a moment.

"I certainly am." She purred as he pressed his lips to her shoulder, a hand running down her side, over her hip and down her thigh, finger hooking under the hem of her dress.

"We shouldn't be doing this right now." She whispered, although her warning was already halfhearted, coming out in a sigh as Oliver's lips had already shifted from her cheek to that sensitive spot behind her ear. Oliver hummed against her neck, making her legs feel like jelly. She leaned back, letting him support her weight as he snaked an arm around her waist. He pressed a trail of kisses from her neck back up to her ear, teeth tugging on it just enough to make her gasp before he continued to her cheek and finally her lips.

She sighed into him, suddenly glad she hadn't yet applied her lipstick yet as she turned in his arms. Even in her bright red strappy heels, she was still so much shorter than him. She trailed her fingernails down his back to where the towel was bunched up under her fingers, toying with the edge. Oliver responded to her teasing hands, hips jerking slightly into her. She let out a sound that was between a moan and a laugh at that.

"Thea is going to murder us." Felicity muttered against his lips, although her hands continued to pull him against her, dismissing her words.

Oliver shrugged, smirking at her as he ran his hands down her ass and lifted her quickly up onto the sink. He tugged at the hem of her dress desperately, bunching it up around her waist. Her legs fell open for him on instinct, wrapping around his hips on their own accord. She paused only fractionally as her heels got caught in his towel, tugging slightly to get them loose, surprised and satisfied as the towel came undone in and in turn, fell to the floor.

And suddenly (and somehow, still not soon enough) he was right there, pressing against her soaked underwear. She moaned, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, the only thing separating them the flimsy material.

The tips of her heels dug into his thighs as he kissed his way along the column of her throat. She gasped as he found the spot that was particularly erogenous and her nails scraped into his back on their own accord. Oliver let out a noise between a gasp and a growl against her throat, sending a delicious shiver down her spine. One of his hands found its way to her panties, finger agonizingly tracing along the edge. Felicity bucked her hips, demanding more contact, making her point as she reached around him and squeezed his ass.

A roar escaped from Oliver's lips just before she heard the sound of tearing fabric, the sudden gush of air cool against her center. Slanting his lips over hers, he takes her noises into his mouth as he teases one, and then two fingers inside of her. He pumps in and out of her slowly, curling his fingers, thumb circling that little sensitive bundle of nerves, leaving her gasping for air, begging for more.

"Oliver, please." Felicity pleaded. Her cheeks were flushed, pupils blown wide, and breathing ragged. He reached up to touch her cheek, fingers carding through her hair as he looked her in the eye.

"I love you." He whispered, leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose.

It was like time froze for her, in that second. And for once, a babbling stream of words didn't seem to capture what she felt.

It was so like him, to stop their desperate frenzy of actions to tell her it meant more to him, deep down. He was such a sap. She smiled brightly, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him against her.

"I love you too." She sighed into him before pressing her lips back to his.

And then he was moving again, tilting his hips, grabbing her thighs as he slowly pushed into her warmth. She gasped as he filled her. It would never seize to amaze her how completely 'out of this world' amazing it felt to have him inside of her. They moved in perfect synchrony, like a well-oiled machine. Felicity threw her head back as her walls started clenching around him, leaving Oliver to latch his lips onto her throat. She moaned loudly as she came, Oliver climaxing with her a couple of thrusts later. He reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear and kissed her slowly, languidly, both hands coming up to cup her face, before pulling out. She whimpered at the loss of contact, hands reaching out, fingers fluttering against his sides.

"Crap." She muttered, laughing slightly, "I don't have an extra pair of underwear with me."

Oliver chuckled and kissed her again. "Just go commando. That's what I always do."

She groaned, resting her head against his shoulder, her fingers tracing along the scars she so long ago memorized.

"We are not gonna make it to the party any time sooner if you keep making comments like that."

Oliver's rumbling laugh echoed through the tiny bathroom and she couldn't help but join in.


	28. Chapter 28

"I swear it was an accident."

Felicity's purse dropped to the ground, mouth hanging open in shock as she stood in the doorway leading the kitchen. The place was a mess.

"Hi mom!" Seven year-old Amelia chimed, wide smile -with two front teeth missing- on her face.

"H..how…w..what…what the hell did you guys do?" She stammered, taking a step into the kitchen but immediately stepping back as her shoe got caught in something sticky.

"Well, Amelia and I were gonna make you your favorite meal for dinner but it kinda went south." Oliver explained, shrugging.

"Yeah, I can see that." Felicity stated, her gaze moving from her husband to her daughter. The girl was smiling innocently.

"We were gonna clean it up and order your favorite take-out instead." Amelia said, wiping whatever it was that was stuck on her cheek away with the edge of her sleeve.

"Yeah. By the way, you're home early. We weren't expecting you before six." Oliver added, running a hand to Amelia's messy hair.

"I thought I'd surprise my husband with expensive wine and some down time on our tenth anniversary, but it looks like I'll be spending my afternoon off helping you two clean up this mess." Felicity said, stepping out of her heels, shrugging off her coat and starting to roll up her sleeves.

"You really don't have to, Felicity." Oliver said, walking around the kitchen island.

Felicity held up her hand. "Don't even start. The more hands, the faster this is cleaned up."

Or not. It took them three whole hours to get the kitchen cleaned up. Okay, turning on the radio and singing along to their favorite songs may have slowed them down a little and maybe the bubble fight wasn't that great an idea either. It had been a long time since Felicity had relaxed and had some fun like they did that afternoon. Things at the company had been frustrating. She had been in charge of damage control after one of their employees turned out to be selling blueprints to one of their competitors.

"Can we watch Harry Potter again?" Amelia asked as they got settled on the couch, exhausted. Their Chinese food was on its way, and Felicity's stomach growled at the thought of food.

"Sure, why don't you go get the DVD." Oliver said.

Amelia immediately jumped up from between them and ran across the living room to the shelves filled with DVD's. Felicity sighed and put her head against the back of the couch. Smiling, Oliver grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. She moaned in protest at first, but stopped complaining once he had wrapped his arms around her. With one hand he reached into the drawer of the side table next to the couch and pulled out the gift he had bought for her.

"Happy anniversary, Felicity." He murmured into her hair.

Felicity opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Happy anniversary, Oliver."

She reached up, taking his chin between her fingers and pulling him towards her so she could kiss him. Slow and sweet, they moved together, so accustomed to each other that it was as natural as breathing.

"Now. I know we said no gifts…"

"Oliver." Felicity started.

"But. It's our tenth anniversary and that is kind of a big deal and I just saw it in the store and I thought it would look even prettier if you wore it."

Felicity tilted her head to the side and let out a huff of air, taking the small box from his hand and lifting the lid.

"Oh, Oliver. It's beautiful." She sighed, running a finger over the silver necklace laying on the blue velvet.

"Thank you." She said, reaching up to kiss him again.

"The pleasure is all mine." Oliver whispered against her lips.

Felicity smiled with a wicked gleam in her eyes "Oh I'll show you pleasure."

Oliver mouth went dry and he swallowed. Hard.

"Later." She said. "Gotta sit through two hours of Hogwarts first."

She knew exactly what she was doing to him. Needless to say, Oliver was fidgeting and twitching next to her during the entire movie as they ate their Chinese and cuddled on the couch, Amelia snuggled between them.


	29. Chapter 29

H e likes it when she keeps her glasses on. He doesn't know why exactly but he does. Maybe it has something to do with the way her lenses fog up when they breathe together. He'll hover over her, lips hovering close to hers, almost touching. Her cheeks would be flushed, her eyes weary as she bites her lip to keep from crying out.

That's another thing he loves about making love with Felicity. They make love, every time. Doesn't matter if it's long and sweet in silky sheets or fast and rough against a pillar in the foundry like they are currently doing. There would always be something about the build-up or there would be someone whispering sweet nothing's that would make it undeniably passionate and emotion-filled.

He loves the sounds she makes. He loves her whimpers, her moans, her cries. He loves to hear her scream his name as she comes but he just as much loves to hear her whisper it. Felicity is very vocal, even more so than he imagined she'd be. Not that he was complaining.

He has her pinned against the cold concrete, making goosebumps pop up on her arms and chest and her nipples harden. The pebbled pink flesh brushes against his chest as they move together. He almost loses it right there and then. His hand travels down her back, across the dip in her hip and to her ass. As much as he loves to touch her shoulders, he can't deny her ass is even better. Squeezing a little, he hitches her up, adjusting her leg around his hip, creating even more friction. She gasps as he hits that sweet spot inside of her, biting her lip and throwing her head back. Oliver latches his lips onto her throat, making sure to leave a mark she'll be angry about the next morning.

He doesn't care because he knows their fights will only end up in more chances to kiss her and even more mind-blowing sex. Felicity squirms, bucking her hips erratically and he knows she's almost there. Her hand flies up to the back of his head, carting her fingers through his hair, gripping it tight as his lips found the spot on her throat that was especially erogenous. His hand moves back to her ass and he thrusts into her. Once. Twice. And then she's falling over the edge, tightening around him. She finally releases her bottom lip and screams out his name. Oliver smirks, riding her through her orgasm and soon he follows her lead.


	30. Chapter 30

Reaching for the chart hanging from the foot of the hospital bed, Felicity looked up at her last patient of the day. She was glad her shift was almost over, it had been exhausting. Even though the annual Charity motor race brought in a lot of money for Starling General, she didn't agree with it. A lot of racers often got hurt because the event tended to get quite heated and violent. She had put in extra hours to help out wherever she was needed because today was the busiest of all days for the staff.

The tip of her pen traveled down the sheet. Broken arm, sprained ankle and a nasty cut on his head that needed stitches. Ah yes, that's what she was here for, the stitches. Felicity had reluctantly taken over this patient from Sara last minute as the latter was rushed to the ER. Anyways, she was here for the stitches. The broken arm had been set and put in a cast by Doctor Merlyn earlier. Good, so at least he wouldn't be in a lot of pain. She couldn't have helped him with that. Well, technically she could, she knew how to reset a broken bone, but she wasn't a doctor. She could probably be a doctor if she wanted to, but it just wasn't for her. There was something about the nurse/patient relationship, a closeness if you will, that a patient and a doctor would never have. Felicity loved listening to all the stories her patients told her and seeing their faces regain color and moods brighter as they healed.

"Alright!" She said cheerily, clipping the chart back to the bed. "How are we doing today, Mr. Queen?"

"Pretty good considering I can't ride my bike for two months. And, a little drowsy." He sighed, the words slipping out of his mouth with a sleepy hum.

Felicity looked up at him, sympathy in her eyes. She stared at him for a second, okay maybe a little longer than a second (she was a mere human, after all, and he was so gorgeous it was ridiculous). He had sandy blonde hair that stuck into a million different directions. He was tan with piercing blue eyes and just the right amount of scruff. Her tongue peeked out to wet her chapped lips and then it hit her.

"Wait. Why are you here, shouldn't you be in intensive care?"

Mr. Queen. Or well, Oliver Queen. Motorcycling king of Starling -which she now realized not only rhymed but was also horribly fitting considering his last name—was sitting here barely untouched while Felicity had been so sure he would end up in a coma.

"How… I mean… You should be half-dead right now. I saw you crash. How are you even breathing on your own?" She hurried to his side, boldly taking his face in her hands looking for signs of trauma. She peered into his blue orbs, breath taken away from her for a split-second as she examined him.

"I guess I was lucky." He smiled and it felt like her heart sighed. Gosh, he was even prettier up close.

He giggled and Felicity couldn't help but stare at him a little dumbfounded. Her eyes spotted the needle sticking out of his arm. Right, he was getting high on anesthetics. She smiled a little at the goofy grin and started prepping the suture equipment.

"Are you my nurse?" He asked.

She smiled softly and pulled on her latex gloves . "Yes I am."

His head lolled to the side, goofy grin still in place as he looked at her. "What's your name?"

She looked at him in surprise, hands stilling as she was soaking a small piece of cloth in iodine. "Felicity."

Chuckling, he scrunched up his nose a little. "That's a pretty name."

"Thank you." She said, placing the suture kit on the bedside table. She sat down on the edge of the hospital bed and started prepping the first stitch.

"Felicity. Fe-li-ci-ty. F'licity." He was smiling as he let her name roll over his tongue, savoring it like a fine wine. Then he laughed again.

She smiled at him in response and put a hand on his shoulder. She was trying to stay professional, but he was being so darn adorable. "Alright, now hold still for me. This might sting a little."

Reaching up, she dabbed the cloth covered in iodine to the cut just above his eyebrow. He winced a little and then continued to blatantly stare at her. She attached the needle to the nylon thread.

"You're so beautiful, Felicity." He sighed. "I kinda want to kiss you."

Felicity blushed, took a deep breath and moved closer to him so she could start patching him up. She held up the needle and put a hand against his forehead to hold him still.

"You ready?" She asked.

"For you? Always." He said, smiling widely in amusement at himself and Felicity took that moment that he was a little distracted to drive the needle through his skin. She knew how nauseating the feel of someone tugging at your skin could be so she tried to do it as quickly and swiftly as possible. Oliver whined a little in protest but Felicity was positive he wasn't in any real pain, only mild discomfort.

"So, Fe-li-ci-ty. You have a boyfriend?" Oliver hummed, chuckling a little.

Felicity shook her head and smiled. "Nope." She said, popping the p. "How about you, Oliver?"

He started grinning again. "No, silly. I don't have a boyfriend. I like pretty girls like you."

She laughed, tying a knot in the medical nylon before cutting it off.

"Your laugh sounds melodiful." He sighed.

"Don't you mean melodious?" Felicity asked as she pierced his skin with the needle again. She was almost finished and she was surprised by how little Oliver had complained.

"Ah, yes. Of course. I'm so silly, making up words and stuff."

She lightly petted his cheek and smiled at him.

"We should get married." He said.

Felicity raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Usually guys ask me to dinner or coffee before proposing." She laughed.

"Then we'll go have dinner or coffee. Or both if you want to."

Smiling softly, Felicity finished up on the last stitch and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Alright, but only because you've been so brave today."

She knew he probably wouldn't remember much of this entire conversation so she lightly pecked him on the cheek. It was probably the only chance she would ever get to kiss Oliver freaking Queen on the cheek, so damn Hospital rules for a second cause she was taking that chance.

"Now. Go get some rest and let your body heal, okay? Can you do that for me?"

He nodded. "For you. Anything."

She chuckled and stood up from the bed, lightly touching his cheek before taking the suture kit and pulling away completely.

"See you on our first date." He called out after her. Felicity laughed and nodded.

"See you on our first date."

Smiling, she walked out of his room, and just before she close the door behind her, she heard him talk to himself.

"Awh Man! I hit the jackpot!"

She closed the door and burst out into laughter. She got a tingly feeling inside, and she was a little ashamed to admit that Oliver Queen's famous charms were having an effect on the butterflies in her stomach.

She saw him again the next day after her shift. He was up and walking around the halls. Okay, well more like limping. The color had returned to his cheeks a bit, it was obvious that if anything, he was well rested and happy.

"Felicity!" He called out when he spotted her.

She turned on her heel and smiled politely. "Mr. Queen. How are you feeling today?"

"Better. A lot less drowsy." He smirked, "Listen, I have question."

"Ask away." She said smiling.

"How much do you remember of the conversation we had last night?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" She deadpanned.

He let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah, well, you see, I really do wanna take you to dinner or coffee sometime."

Her eyebrows flew up. "Oh. Really?!"

Oliver nodded. "Yeah. Really. What do you say?"

"Uhm. Well, I usually don't go out with patients of mine.." Oliver's face fell instantly, and she felt an excitement fill her stomach at his obvious disappointment, "But, it's the end of my shift and I could really use some dinner or coffee right now."


	31. Chapter 31

Felicity is pleasantly surprised when she realizes how much power she has power over him in the bedroom. Never before has a lover been so generous and hell-bent on pleasing her before himself. Sure, some were willing to put their lips somewhere else than on hers, but none as willing and wanting as Oliver. She likes it, hell, she never wants him to stop. She never knew she could be worshipped like she was when she's with him. She had never experienced something like that before. Not that her previous boyfriends had been selfish or douchebags. Oliver was just better. In so many ways. He knows exactly what she likes. All her sensitive spots and when to use more or less pressure. What makes her moan and what makes her curse under her breath.

He often lets her take control and she definitely enjoys taking control. She'll whisper his name and use her tongue to flick along the ridges between his muscles, having him twitch in anticipation. He can barely take his hands off of her, always touching, feeling, squeezing. She's on top a lot, setting a torturously slow pace, circling her hips as she smirks down at him, fingers carding through his hair.

They are definitely more of a making love type of couple. Not that occasional rough sex against the foundry wall is completely off the table. because that just happens sometimes.


	32. Chapter 32

"What are you doing?" Felicity asked as she walked into the kitchen, pulling her hair into her signature ponytail.

"Reading the newspaper." Oliver replied dryly.

"No, I can see that…I just…" She gestured to her eyes.

"Oh!" Oliver realized what she was talking about. He was wearing her glasses. "I uh.. I couldn't read the tiny font on the back, and they were just lying there. I figured it wouldn't hurt to try."

She smirked and walked over to him, putting her hands on his shoulders. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his temple.

"Are we getting a little old, Mr. Queen?"

"I certainly am not." He protested, which only made her laugh harder. She ran a hand through his hair and gasped.

"Oh no!" she cried out teasingly. "Is that a grey hair I'm spotting?"

"Ha-ha, very funny Felicity. You and I both know I started going grey a long time ago. No need to be afraid my feelings my get hurt." He put a hand on her elbow, pulling her a little closer and looked up. She was smiling at him, lips colored a bright pink, eyes a vivid blue. She was close enough that he could see the tiny lines forming next to her eyes and near the dimples in her cheeks as she smiled. She bent down, pressing her lips to his.

"I never thought I'd say this but I actually think your grey hair is unbelievably hot." She whispered seductively, lips barely a hair's breadth away from his. She bumped their noses together playfully and chuckled, leaning in for another kiss.

Oliver moved his hand into her hair, fingers weaving through her ponytail when he heard someone clearing their throat and a high girlish giggle. Felicity stiffened and pulled away.

"Mom! Dad! Gross!" Tommy whined.

"Gwoss!" Amelia parroted her older brother, mimicking his stance as well, arms crossed over her chest, grumpy pout on her face.

Felicity let out a breathy laugh, seeing their two kids standing there was both utterly adorable and something neither of them could ever have imagined. Squeezing Oliver's shoulders, she let her flat hands run down his chest a little to wrap her arms around his neck from behind, pressing a sloppy kiss to his cheek. Tommy shook his head and Amelia couldn't help but drop the tough-girl charade and giggled, skipping towards her dad, purple tutu swishing around her legs.

Oliver pulled her into his lap easily, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"You'll still love me when I'm old and grey, too, right baby?"

Amelia nodded. "I will always love you, daddy! But you look a little silly with mommy's glasses"

Shaking his head, Oliver laughed and glanced over his shoulder at his wife. She was smiling, hand on the nape of his neck. How he had managed to find her, he would never know, but boy was he glad he did.


	33. Chapter 33

"Wait a minute. Are you jealous?"

Oliver looked up from his flute of champagne. He wasn't sure how many glasses he had downed already, but he knew he was gonna need some more to make it through the rest of the reception without ripping Palmer's head off. Thea quirked her eyebrows up at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What? No. Why would you think that?"

Thea scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Because your eyes have been glued to wherever Felicity is all night. I saw you staring at her even when Dig and Lyla were exchanging vows, which was kinda rude, actually. And I definitely heard some unrepeatable curse words directed at Ray escape from your mouth."

He harrumphed and shook his head. "Thea, I'm not jealous."

"Oh please. You are even worse at lying than you are at hiding how you feel about Felicity."

Closing his eyes for a second, he turned to his sister. "And how exactly do I feel about Felicity, Thea? Because you seem to have all the answers today."

Thea shot him a look. "You love her, Oliver. And from what I've observed, she clearly feels something for you too."

Oliver took a ragged breath and put his glass on the table next to them.

"Why aren't you with her?" Thea asked, sensing her brother's emotional distress, putting a comforting hand on his arm.

"She's with Ray." He stated simply, vein ticking in his jaw.

Thea shook her head. "No. That's not it."

"Thea…" He started. "…I just can't…It's too dangerous… I anything happened to her…I wouldn't…I wouldn't know what I'd do."

"Oh Ollie." Thea sighed, lightly squeezing his arm. Oliver bent his head and pressed his lips into a firm line. Thea peered over his shoulder and smiled a little.

"Look, I know I can't change your mind about this, but Felicity's coming this way and if you're not gonna ask her to dance you'll have to find another place to sleep tonight."

Oliver looked up to see that characteristic little smirk of hers in place as she let go of him and walked off. Before he could give it another thought, he downed his glass of champagne and turned to face the ballroom to see a smiling Felicity walking over to him. He smiled softly as she reached his side.

"Where did Thea run off to?" She asked, pointing her thumb in the direction his sister had just wandered off to.

"Roy, probably." He said.

Felicity nodded. "Ahh, of course."

Glancing around the room, Oliver frowned a little and turned to Felicity. "Where's your date?"

She sighed. "Ray had to take a business call a while ago. He still hasn't returned, and that after he promised me a dance when he got back. It's been an hour."

Oliver noticed how she started fiddling with the bracelet she was wearing. She was looking down at her hands, clearly upset about the whole situation. So, he took Thea's advice and put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I'll dance with you, if you want."

Felicity looked up in surprise mixed with shock. "I thought you didn't dance."

He let out a breathy laugh and nodded. "I'm willing to make an exception for you."

Pressing her lips together, Felicity smiled and nodded. "I'd like that."

She took the hand he held out for her and he tried as hard as he could to ignore his fluttering heart and the butterflies going crazy in his stomach. Leading her to the dancefloor and taking her into his arms was as easy as breathing. It was as if their bodies fit together like two puzzle pieces. Oliver's left hand fell to back, pulling her closer, his other hand wrapping tightly around hers. Felicity's free hand found its way to his shoulder. She smiled up at him as they started swaying to the slow swell of the music. They kept a respectable distance between them as they took small steps around the dancefloor.

Oliver spotted Thea smirking at him as she pulled Roy to the dancefloor as well. He made a fast turn, twirling Felicity in his arms and quickly pulling her back against him. Her eyes went wide, staring up at him.

"Wow. I didn't see that one coming. Seriously, if this is you not being able to dance..." She said smiling.

"My mother forced me to take ballroom lessons when I was younger. I guess they finally paid off." Oliver shrugged, a tiny hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Felicity chuckled and tightened her arm around him. And soon, as their dance continued, they moved closer to each other. Their toes almost touching with ever step, their chests pressed together. Felicity's head was on his shoulder, his nose buried in her hair. He didn't care that they weren't together. They had this moment. That was enough. For now at least.

Besides, the look on Palmer's face when he walked back into the reception was so worth it.


	34. Chapter 34

"Can you please tell me how many new vigilantes are you thinking of helping on your spare time?

"Excuse me! I didn't know my services were exclusively yours..." Felicity pursed her lips and stared at him defiantly.

"It's not…That's not what I meant…it's just…" He sighed in defeat. How was he going to explain this properly without sounding like a complete asshat?

"Yeah? what exactly is it then, Oliver?" Felicity raised her eyebrows at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

He opened his mouth to say something but stopped. His hand came up to cup her elbow as she looked at him expectantly. He bowed his head, looking at his shoes.

"It's just…I thought that was our thing."

Felicity snorted and then burst out in laughter, slowly wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Oh Oliver." She sighed, lovingly gazing up a him with an amused grin on her face. "You are such a dork."

He reached up to cradle her face. "I was okay with Barry, but then.." He made a sound that resembled something between a groan and a sigh "… then Palmer and now this wacko from Gotham."

"Oliver, we need his help." She tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips.

"But you're my wife, and you're pregnant." His hand moved between them, falling over the small swell of her stomach.

"I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you, or our baby." He whispered, letting his forehead fall against hers. He closed his eyes as her hand came up to cup his cheek.

"I know. You're allowed to worry, but it's not like I'm going out in the field. I'll just be helping him set up his…" She chuckled, making Oliver's eyes pop open. "…his batcave."

She started laughing, and he couldn't help but smile. He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Okay, but at least let me come with you."

"Did you really think I was gonna go without you?" She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, reaching up on her tiptoes to press her lips against his.

"I love you." He whispered, bumping his nose against hers.

"I love you, too, Oliver." She said smiling, kissing him again.


	35. Chapter 35

"Really? C'mon 'licity." He murmured against the soft flesh of her thighs, trailing his fingers up and down the sides.

"Oliver, no! I still got beard burn from yesterday! You really need a trim, that scratching flipping hurts! You don't even wanna know how much Vaseline it took for me to just be able to walk."

He pressed a gentle kiss to the inside of her knee and smirked a little. It was true, he had done a number on her the night before and he was kinda proud of the marks he'd left behind. But, he didn't want to hurt her either. He ran delicate fingers over the skin of her inner thighs. It was red and a little irritated, the scratches getting worse the closer his fingers trailed to her center. He could feel himself straining against his pants. Putting a foot on his shoulder, she pushed him away from her. He let out a moan that sounded like something between a grunt and whining.

"Alright, Alright! I'll go shave." He said as he got up from the bed. Felicity licked her lips at the sight. A tanned, shirtless and scruffy Oliver with his belt hanging loose around his hips. His pants slipping off little by little, light blue boxers peeking out from under his jeans, the deep v carved in his abdomen demanding to be touched.

He walked to the edge of the bed and pulled her up, long fingers carding through her hair, thumb running over her swollen lips before he leaned down to kiss her. Her delicate fingers trailed along the ridges of his abs and down to the alluring v. He hissed against her lips as her small hand moved to cup him through his jeans while the other moved around him squeeze his ass. Letting his own hands roam over her body, he pulled down the cups of her strapless bra and palmed her breasts, thumbs flicking over the pebbled flesh of her nipples. She moaned. Loudly.

"Go." She breathed in his ear, placing her hand against his chest, gently pushing him away.

Oliver straightened his back, putting his hands on his hips, looking down on her as she sat on the bed, smirking.

"Don't move." He said, sprinting into the bathroom adjoining their room. Felicity chuckled and tossed her damp, frizzy hair over one shoulder. She reached behind her to unhook the clasps of her bra, casually tossing it to the side and shimmying out of her summer dress. She scooted back on the bed, stretching out on her side, waiting for her new husband to return to her side.

It had been two weeks since the wedding. Two wonderful –you could say orgasmic—weeks on the Bahamas. They spent long days on the private beach their little cottage came with, enjoyed the beautiful view from their bed as the sun rose, and went on discovering the islands most secluded waterfalls. Felicity chuckled as she heard Oliver rummaging around in the bathroom, cursing under his breath as he knocked something over.

And then he was there, leaning against the doorframe, gloriously naked. She saw his sharp intake of breath as his gaze moved over her equally naked body. Felicity smirked and beckoned him towards her, her hand falling over his cheek when he got in reach.

"Smooth like a baby's bottom." She chuckled, turning so she was lying on her back, Oliver hovering over her. He leaned down to kiss her, fingers fluttering down her side. He didn't say anything, just let his lips move from hers to her cheek, the shell of her ear, his tongue darting out to tease her before moving to nibble on her earlobe and kissing his way down her throat, paying extra attention to the particularly erogenous spot. He lips moved across her collarbones and down the valley between her breasts, paying good attention to both of them. Felicity was a trembling mess when his tongue flicked across her hipbone. Her hands hanging onto his hair for dear life, fingernails scratching his scalp.

Gently easing her legs apart, mindful of the stinging redness, he pressed his lips to her core, his tongue teasing, lapping at her juices, swirling around her sensitive little nub. She keened, arching her back off the bed, pulling at his hair and wrapping her legs around his back, pulling him impossibly closer.

"Oliver, please." She panted, gasping in shock and pleasure as he plunged two long fingers deep inside of her, stroking her walls while his thumb moved over her clit. Oliver's soft skin against her thighs was a whole new experience for her. He'd always had some amount of stubble, never had he been this clean shaven before. It was wonderful, not that the stubble wasn't mind-blowing as well.

The heat in her belly stared growing, her walls twitching with Oliver's fingers as he curled them inside of her. She was left gasping for air, coming undone around her husband's fingers. She felt like she was going to explode into a million pieces as he rode her through her orgasm, prolonging it as long he could. If this had been the end of her life, she would have been fine with it cause hell it was a good way to go.


	36. Chapter 36

"If you keep looking at me like that we won't make it to a bed." She said it matter of factly, her tone even as she continued typing away on her keyboard.

He was trying to be subtle about it, he really was. But somehow, even when she was deep in thought or working, intensely focused on her task, she always noticed.

"I'm sorry, but you just looks so cute when you work." Oliver shrugged.

Felicity shot him a look over her glasses and rolled her eyes. He was on the opposite end of the couch, sitting cross-legged in jeans and a baby blue shirt, making him look simply edible. His hair was still wet from the shower he'd just taken. Felicity on the other hand, was still in her work-attire, hair pulled up in the neat, ever-present ponytail, lips bright pink, wearing a curve hugging dress and 6 inch heels. She was finishing up - or at least trying to finish up - the last reports for the meeting she had planned the following morning. She had come home late that night after a run in with a particularly nasty server wide virus. Which lead to her not having time to finish the reports and spend time with her husband instead. But, she refused to get comfortable until she was done.

"It's true. You'll scrunch up your nose when something doesn't work, or purse your lips. And when you start chewing on your pen, you know it's about to get really serious. But you have no idea how hot that looks."

She laughed. "Oh great. My husband gets off while thinking about me biting office supplies."

Snorting, Oliver scooted a little closer to her so he could put his hand on her shoulder. "I have a kink about you biting stuff, yes. But not office supplies."

He wiggled his eyebrows, making her burst out in laughter. "You are the worst."

"You love me anyway." He said, tilting his head to the side.

She sighed, feeling herself give into his trademark charms. She put her tablet on the coffee table and reached behind her head to pull out the elastic holding her hair up. Scooting closer to his side of the couch after she kicked off her pumps, sneaking her legs into his lap, she kissed him.

"What was that about a biting kink?" She asked just before nipping at his lower lips, smoothing the sting of her teeth over with her tongue.

"Mrs. Queen, you sneaky little minx." He murmured in her ear she started devouring his neck, strategically placing hickey's all over the column of his throat. Which translated to everywhere she damn pleased. She moved to sit in his lap, legs on either side of hips, shamelessly grinding down her hips to create friction.

"What was that about not going to make it to a bed?" He retorted after Felicity tore open his shirt and moved her assault to his chest. He groaned underneath her as she smirked up at him.

"Shut up and screw your wife." She muttered against his abs, trailing her tongue through the ridges.

He didn't need to be told twice.


	37. Chapter 37

This wasn't how she was supposed to be spending her afternoon. She should have been getting ready for her date tonight, not be stuck in an elevator with her former –and future if everything went according to plan—boss. But here she was, thirty minutes after she was supposed to meet poor Daniel, sitting on the marble floor of the tiny space with her ankles crossed. OH and did she mention she had no cell service and no LTE or Wi-Fi? Cause she didn't, and it was awful. Not that being stuck in a small space with Oliver was necessarily a problem, the circumstances and the timing were just really terrible.

She could swear this was the beginning to every smutty fan-fiction ever. Oliver stopped in his tracks. He'd been pacing back and forth the tiny space for at least an hour now, much to Felicity's annoyance. He looked at her, eyebrows knitting together.

"What?" He said in that oh so familiar tone, just like he had the first time they met when she had started babbling about Hamlet. Felicity suppressed the smile that the memory brought in favor of blushing a bright shade of red as she realized her mouth had ran away with her again, and she had spoken out loud.

"Oh…uhm, you know…" How the hell was she supposed to explain this to him? And in a way that he wouldn't think she was going crazy. What he did next surprised her. He sat down next to her, hand folded in his lap and he looked at her.

"Enlighten me?" He asked and Felicity could see the sincerity in his eyes. He was as fed up with the situation as she was but instead of lashing out, he was trying to make the best of it. She could really appreciate the effort even if she was probably going to embarrass herself even more in the next few minutes. Felicity let out a huff of air and turned to look at him.

"Okay, well, you know how there are people who are really into TV-shows or movies or books, or all three, or even bands or theatre or whatever, really?"

Oliver nodded. She was amazed at how interested he seemed.

"They often write stories about the characters they love. Fan written fiction."

"Isn't that stealing? With like copyright laws or something?"

Oh, Oliver, she thought. Trying so hard to be a business man. She smiled a little and shook her head.

"I don't think anyone has really gotten in trouble for it. After all, all it does is promote the show, movie, book or whatever. You get what I'm saying."

He pursed his lips and nodded.

"Anyways, smut is fanfiction of the sexy variation."

Oliver's lips parted and then closed again. She could swear she saw his pupils dilate ever so slightly before he blinked, the blue of his eyes a little darker when he looked at her again. He narrowed his eyes a little as he nodded. She didn't need to explain what exactly happened in those stories. Not that she wouldn't have blushed and stumbled her way through an explanation if he had asked for it. Felicity looked at her watch and sighed. It had been almost two hours after the elevator doors had closed and they were still stuck. She wondered what was taking so long. In such a large company as Queen Consolidated, there ought to be a mechanic available. She shook her head a little and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She didn't mind being stuck in an elevator with Oliver when he wasn't acting like a time-bomb of nerves and agitation.

"Do you write stories like that?" He asked after a moment of silence, surprising her once again.

"What? Me? No, I don't have the time. I did dabble in some Mulder and Scully from X-Files stuff in college but I didn't have the talent. Seriously, some of them are better than published novels I've read. I have always been better with numbers than letters." She laughed.

Oliver smiled as the ring of her laughter filled the space.

"I do read them. More often than I'd like to admit, actually. But, with our nightly activities and stuff, it's becoming really hard to pick up an actual book. There's enormous databases of fanfiction of all kinds, and it's free. There's a ton of terms I won't bother you with, but it's kinda great if I have a spare minute of time."

Felicity was looking down at her hands. She had started twisting her fingers as she was talking, explaining to Oliver all the different genres and alternate universes that she loved, the blush of embarrassment slowly fading from her cheeks. He didn't laugh at her, as most of her other boyfriends had. Not that Oliver was her boyfriend. But he was something. She wondered for a second what Oliver was really thinking. He probably thought it was childish and silly.

"I don't think it's silly at all." Felicity internally cursed her non-existent brain-to-mouth filter for screwing up again before looking up at him.

Oliver smiled and shrugged, putting a hand on hers where they were lying in her lap. "Do what you love, right?"

She smiled softly and nodded. "Right."

And that's when the elevator started moving. The both sighed in relief and Felicity let her head fall to Oliver shoulders. Neither moved until the metal doors slid open and Diggle stepped inside?

"Did you two have a nice afternoon?" He asked, smirk on his face.

Felicity blushed a little, pulling her head off of Oliver's shoulder and gathering her things. Oliver stood up and reached out a hand to help her off the floor.

"Took you long enough." Felicity said to Diggle.

"QC's Stock rate isn't the only thing around here that isn't working." He retorted.

From the corner of her eye, Felicity saw Oliver's face fall and instinctively, she put a hand in the crook of his elbow.

"We'll get the company back." She said, right before her phone started blowing up with missed phone calls and text messages.

"Crap. Daniel thinks I stood him up." She cursed as they started walking to where Diggle had parked the car, getting rid of the notifications one by one.

"Daniel?" Oliver asked, his voice a little higher than usual.

Felicity sighed and nodded "I met him at Tech Village. We were supposed to meet for dinner a while ago, but with the whole 'stuck in an elevator thing' he now thinks I'm blowing him off."

She put her phone back in her purse and shook her head. "Well, I guess that means take-out food and Netflix tonight."

Oliver smiled a little as she scrunched up her nose and pursed her lips. "Not that I really mind, Netflix is probably better company anyways."

He laughed and put a hand on her shoulder. "He's an idiot." He watched as a softness washed over her features, the sparkle in her eyes glimmering as she smiled.

"Thanks." Felicity whispered, blushing a little before sliding into the car as Diggle held open the door for her.

"You're an idiot too, you know." Diggle whispered to Oliver when she was out hearing range. He frowned in confusion at Diggle's words, but he just rolled his eyes in response and walked around the car to get into the driver's seat. Oliver stood there for a second, contemplating his words before shaking them off and sliding into the car next to Felicity. She was mindlessly thumbing through her e-mails, too preoccupied to notice the confused look on Oliver's face. Dig started the ignition after Oliver pulled the door shut, and they were on their way home.

About two hours later, Felicity was freshly showered, lounging on her couch in her PJ's, scrolling through her Netflix watch list. She may have had a little too much wine, but she decided it was a great idea to send Oliver a link to her favorite Mulder/Scully fanfiction ever.

'**You didn't ask for this, but after that whole conversation in the elevator, I feel like you need to read this. X – Felicity'** was the accompanying message.

She threw her phone to the opposite end of the couch after what she had just done had sunk in. She poured herself another glass of wine to toast to her stupidity and picked her favorite Doctor Who episode to watch, Vincent and The Doctor. A few minutes in, right after the Tardis traveled back to 19th century France, her phone chimed.

It couldn't be Oliver, she thought. She told herself she didn't need to check her phone, and yet, there she was, sitting on her couch, fiddling with the hem of her Oscar The Grouch t-shirt, anxious to see what his reply was. And she wasn't even sure it was him, It could be anybody that had her number, really. Statistically, there was a very small chance that Oliver responded to her text within 5 minutes. Wasn't there a rule about that or something? Like, wait ten minutes before responding to your crush. Not that she thought she was Oliver's crush or anything. That was such a teenage thing to say anyways. Could that even be applied to them? The Doctor was well on his way to Vincent Van Gogh's house when she realized her thoughts were babbling. That was a nice side-effect of being alone with nobody to stop you from rambling on into oblivion. Reaching for the remote, she paused the TV and took her phone. Pressing the home button would reveal a new text message. From no one else than Oliver Queen. He clearly didn't give a damn about not texting back before the ten minutes were up.

'**Can't wait! :) I was meaning to ask you to send me something, thanks. X – Oliver'** The message said. Felicity stared at her phone for several minutes, the warmth reaching her cheeks. Oliver Queen just sent her an smiley face and a kiss.

It took her a long time to fall asleep that night. She was trying hard not to overthink it, but the image of Oliver reading fanfiction kept popping up in her head, with no way to get rid of it. If she was honest, it was kinda hot to think about too.

The next morning, after that restless night of sleep, too many cups of coffee, she was two hours into her early shift at Tech Village. She was just finishing up with a customer when she saw him stroll ever so casually into the little store. She bid the costumer goodbye and leaned over the counter, popping up her elbow to rest her head in her hand.

"Goodmorning. What are you doing up so early? And here in this humble little Tech Village."

She knew she was being unnecessarily flirty, but it worked. Oliver let out a breathy laugh and shook his head.

"I have it from a reliable source that this is where you meet people these days." He retorted. Felicity's eyes widened and she blushed a little as she straightened back up. He sauntered over to the counter, putting his hands on the cold glass.

"Really, Oliver. Why are you here? Did something happen?" She whispered the last part for reasons still unclear to her, but he knew she was talking about their other job. He smiled and shook his head.

"No. I just thought I'd follow Fox Mulder's example and finally ask the object of my infatuation out on a date before someone else realizes how amazing she is." He said it so casually she almost missed what he was really saying. Her eyes went wide, her bright red lips parting in astonishment.

"Wait?! You actually read it?!" She grabbed his forearm and smiled.

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "That's what you got from that sentence?"

She looked dumbstruck, her eyebrows knitting together, lips pursing. "What? I didn't think you'd actually read it. I guess I'm just kinda surprised."

"…Felicity." He cut her off with a hand on her shoulder. "I'm trying to ask you to dinner here."

Her mouth fell open in a round 'o'. She nodded slowly and started blushing and then smiling, the little flicker of light in her eyes sparkling with joy.

"Would you like to go out with me sometime, Felicity?" He asked. He was smiling now too.

She nodded. "Yes. I would love to."

Tilting her head to the side, she chuckled a little. "Took you long enough to ask."

Oliver sighed and shook his head. And then he was leaning closer over the counter, getting into her personal space like he kind of always did. Not that she minded, it was nice having him close.

"You know… Dig said the same thing, but I-"

She could see his eyes drop to her red lips and before she knew it she was cutting off his words by slanting her mouth over his. It took him a second to realize what was happening but he quickly responded by putting his warm hand on her cheek. She was tugging him closer by his collar when she heard a loud throat-clearing behind her. Stiffening completely, she untangled her fingers from his shirt and pulled away. Her cheeks were flaming red already, her eyes wide and unfocused, irises a shade darker than usual behind her frames. Oliver smirked at her before she turned around to face her mousy, middle-aged boss. For a split second she thought about how her IQ was higher than all of her co-worker's combined. But this was not the time to dwell on that slightly depressing fact.

Her manager was staring at her through scrutinizing eyes. He had clearly already recognized Oliver, but chose to focus solely on his employee making out with the man.

"Back to work, Miss Smoak."

"Hmm-hmm." She hummed, nodding as her cheeks turned even more red. "Yes. Of course."

The man squinted his eyes and turned around, back to his office. Oliver let out a breathy laugh behind her, hand tugging on her elbow. She turned around, mouth opening and closing like a fish. He smirked at her. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a second before letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"So? Dinner tonight?"

She nodded. "Dinner."


	38. Chapter 38

Almost a year had gone by since that faithful day at the courthouse. A year since the exchanging of vows in clothing probably not wedding appropriate. Neither of them had cared. All that mattered was that they were taking this leap together, diving in headfirst with not a care in the world except that they were there. Together. Oliver had almost run off by himself, but there was no way Felicity was gonna let him. Not only Captain Lance was after them at that point, so was Ra's al Ghul. So, like it was the most normal thing in the world, they had gone to the courthouse to get a marriage license and got married the same day with Digg as their best man/witness. To say they drove off into the sunset would be an accurate description because that's exactly what they did. They would spend the following year running and hiding from both the Federal agencies and the League of Assassins, traveling the world under false names. Felicity erased their presence from traffic camera's and even so much as plane ticket records, there was no trace of them ever having existed.

"Happy Saint George's Day, Felicity." He murmured in her ear that morning. Felicity hummed lowly when his lips kissed the shell of her ear. They moved to her temple as she curled into his touch, his fingers ghosting over her cheekbone down to her jaw.

"Mornin'" she replied, voice a little raspy, followed by a soft moan as she was slowly waking up.

Oliver was sitting on the edge of the bed, bent over his beautiful wife, in their small but comfortable hotel room. The Barcelona morning sunlight streaming in from the window behind him, casting an angelic kind of glow around him.

"Where'd you run off to earlier?" She asked, slowly opening her eyes as she played with his fingers. He kissed her again, just a soft, quick peck before he reached for something next to the bed.

"I got us breakfast." He smiled triumphantly, holding up a simple brown back. Two travel cups of coffee sat waiting on the bedside table.

Felicity smiled, turning on her side, only covered in the silky white sheets. She squinted her eyes against the brightness and reached up, grabbing the color of his pale blue shirt and pulling him back towards her.

"You're the best husband ever." She murmured against his lips. He chuckled, burying a hand in her hair as she closed the distance between them, lips languidly moving over his. He was smiling against her lips, slowly pulling back.

"I got you something else." He smiled, bright blue eyes seeking out hers. She quirked an eyebrow at him, tilting her head to the side. Oliver sat back up, reaching into the bag and pulling out small package tied with a simple string and a single rose. Felicity took her glasses off the bedside table and perched them on her nose. She scooted upwards a little so she was sitting against the headboard before she accepted Oliver's gift.

"What is this?" She asked, smile on her face as she lifted the flower to her nose to smell it.

Oliver let out a short laugh, his eyes twinkling with joy. "Well, apparently today, April 23rd, is like a national holiday here. It's Saint George's day and also Book and Roses day or something, I don't remember everything the man at the coffee shop told me. His English wasn't the greatest, but explained to me that today, as a celebration of love, partners give each other books and roses. There's like little stands with flowers and books all over the streets, we are going out later because you need to see it. So, usually then men give the ladies roses and the women give men a book, so I bought you the rose and then I walked past this little bookstand, and it had English books and I saw this one and I just couldn't resist."

Felicity sighs softly, touched at the sentiment and reached out to cup his cheek. "I love you, Oliver. It's with things like this that you just keep on surprising me."

She leaned over to kiss him shortly before carefully unwrapping her present. Her heart sighed when she saw the worn out copy of Roald Dahl's Matilda. A bright smile made its way to her lips. Her eyes sparkling with emotion, she glances at him, asking him a question without words and he knows just how to answer it.

He took her hand, squeezing softly. "I remember you told me how much you related to that story as a kid. So, when I saw it, I thought you might like it."

She nodded quietly and paged through the book. "I love it. Thank you."

Smiling up at him, she put the book to the side and scooted closer. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her lips to his. She hummed against him, fingers carding through is short-cropped hair. His hand found her bare back, tugging her closer.

"Our coffee is gonna go cold." He murmured in her ear when she moved her lips to his throat. Felicity hummed in response, fingers fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, nails raking over his chest when she managed to undo them all. Oliver gasped when one of her nails caught on his nipple and he could feel his jeans getting tighter.

"Fe-li-ci-ty" He muttered, head lolling to the side.

"Hmm… I have more important things to attend to then my coffee."

Oliver chuckled, letting her push his shirt off his shoulders, the only thing separating them the thin bedsheets.

"Can I get that in writing?"

Felicity growled against the skin of his collarbone, lightly nipping as she moved to his shoulder. "Are you sassing your wife, Mister Queen?"

Gently, he tugged at her chin, making her look up at him. He pressed his lips against hers and smiled. "I wouldn't dare."

She smiled back at him and suddenly her back is pressed against the pillows, sheets pulled away from her body and Oliver's mouth hot and wet against her skin. She arched her back when he latched onto her nipple, sucking the pebbled flesh into his mouth. She gasped, tugging on his hair to steady herself. He moved his lower body between her legs, and she instinctively wrapped them around him. He kicked off his shoes as his mouth traveled downwards, to where she wanted him the most. She moaned, mouth falling open when he finally reached her sex. His tongue swirling around the sensitive little bundle of nerves when he teases a finger into her wet heat. She cried out when he added another finger, hands scrambling for purchase, settling on his hair. Slowly, he started thrusting into her, never failing to stimulate her clit. She flies apart in a matter of minutes, he knows her body that well, expletives rolling off her tongue. Laying back against the pillows, her chest glistening with sweat, he hovers over her, smirking at her weary expression and disheveled look. She wrapped a hand around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss. She could taste herself on his tongue, but she didn't care. It was kind of hot, actually. And then her fingers found the button on his jeans, undoing it with ease and pulling down the zipper ever faster. Oliver grunts against her lips as she cups his length through his underwear.

He doesn't have much restraint left and so it doesn't take long to get rid of the remaining items of clothing to be discarded. Felicity managed to flip them over so she's straddling him, pumping his shaft a few times before guiding him to her entrance and sinking down on him. She moaned and he was grunting, muttering curse words when he was surrounded by her tightness.

Oliver couldn't take his hands off of her. They are on her hips, her ass, her breast. He's touching and kissing everything he can reach. Felicity rolled her hips in an agonizingly slow pace, building up both their climaxes with concentrated restraint. Restraint Oliver didn't have anymore. It didn't take long before he was thrusting upwards into her, making her cry out in pleasure before flipping them over. Felicity's heels digging into the back of his thighs as his thumb found her sensitive little nub. She arches her back, screaming, nails clawing into his shoulders as she comes. With her walls clenching and trembling around him Oliver knew he wouldn't last much longer either. He latched his mouth onto hers, groaning as he thrusts into her one last time and falls over the edge, spilling inside of her.

Taking a moment to catch their breaths, Oliver let himself slump over her, Felicity welcoming the warm weight. She started tracing patterns over his back, following the lines of his scars when she came across one, or the branding mark the league had left on him. She started pressing kisses into his hair and to his temple, nuzzling her nose against his ear. Felicity couldn't stop smiling as she teasingly ran a hand over Oliver's ass, squeezing a little.

He growled in her ear, making her laugh and rolled off of her, lying on his side next to her, his head propped up in his hand. She tangled her fingers with his and he pulls their joined hands up to kiss her knuckles.

"I love you, Felicity."

She smiled and nodded. "I know. That's why we got married and ran off like Bonnie and Clyde."

Chuckling, Oliver leans in to kiss her, letting his forefinger trace swirling patterns over her flat stomach.

"You know, I hope that one day, we'll get to tell our future child the story of Matilda."

Felicity smiled, sighing wistfully and put a hand on his cheek. "Happy Saint George's Day, Oliver."

Grinning, he leaned down to kiss her again and put something in motion that may have turned into round two.

It took them a while to figure out their lives, but they got back in SCPD's good graces and managed to change Ra's mind about Oliver being his heir with Nyssa's help. They adopted the Catalonian April 23rd tradition into their own lives and it was on that exact day, four years later that Oliver read their child the story of Matilda. To be fair, he or she wasn't even born yet, but the doctor had told them that the baby could hear them when they talked to him or her. They had decided not to find out the sex until the birth. This was one of the things that didn't have dire consequences if they took the risk, and so they did.

And that's the story of how Oliver ended up sprawled on the bed, reading Felicity's expanding belly a bedtime story.


	39. Chapter 39

For a second, Felicity wondered how they had managed to escape unseen. She was leaning back on her elbows on top of someone's expensive desk, straps of her dress hanging down her shoulders, exposing her chest. And then she remembered she didn't really care because Oliver's tongue was working its magic between her legs. The tips of her heels were digging into his back as her thighs tightened around his shoulders. Oliver nudged her legs further apart, making her scream in pleasure. Biting her lip, she reached out, grabbing a handful of his hair as she came with a shuddering cry.

Oliver guided her through her orgasm with his hands while she fumbled with the buttons on his pants. His jacket lay discarded on the floor somewhere, forgotten as Felicity focused on those freakishly hot suspenders. Oliver was trying to take them off but she stopped him.

"Keep them on. They're hot." She panted, smiling a little.

He chuckled but did as he was told, pulling off his shirt from under the elastic. Felicity raked her hands over his chest, pulling at the suspenders, letting them snap against his skin. Oliver growled, reaching for her, his mouth coming down on her chest, sucking a nipple into his mouth. Felicity cried out as she reached for his length, cupping and softly stroking him under his boxers. He groaned, grabbing onto her hips, pushing the fabric out of the way and thrusting into her in one quick movement. Felicity arched off the desk, grabbing onto the edges to steady herself. Oliver started slow until Felicity yelled at him that she needed more and who was he to refuse? His lips found hers, swallowing her moans as he kept pushing into her. He kept hitting that one particular spot over and over until her walls started clenching and fluttering around him. Felicity's nails dug into his back as she tumbled over the edge for the second time, Oliver following a couple thrusts later.

Felicity started laughing as they came down from their high.

"this is why fighting can be a good thing."

Oliver chuckled against her neck, kissing his way up to her lips, swallowing her laughter in a slow, languid kiss.

Earlier that evening…

To say Felicity was pissed would be understatement of the year. She didn't want to go to this gala in the first place, favoring her couch and Game Of Thrones, any day. But now that she and Oliver were fighting, it was even worse. Oliver had gone out on a mission without talking to her first, and if there was one thing Felicity Smoak could not appreciate it was her fiancé putting himself in danger without letting her help him in any way she could. Three bruised ribs and a cut above his eyebrow that he hadn't been able to hide had resulted in one of the biggest fights they had ever had as a couple. And they had had some pretty intense arguments about less.

So, Felicity sipped her champagne, shooting daggers at his back as Oliver was sweet talking some Queen Inc. investors. As if he could feel her gaze on him, he glanced over his shoulder and met her eyes. She quickly looked away, sighing, shaking her head and walking in the opposite direction towards the dancefloor, putting her backless dress to full use. It was a gorgeous navy blue Jason Wu gown with a plunging neckline that she had borrowed from Thea. She would have never spent that much money on a dress, but Oliver's reaction might just persuade her for future occasions.

It was their first gala since they announced their engagement and she could feel the people staring at her, at both of them, wondering if the love had faded already. Oh if they knew what was really going on. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, ignoring the glances, instead choosing to focus on the drink in her hand. That was until she felt a very familiar hand on her bare back. It was hot, burning against her skin but she couldn't help but lean into the touch.

"You look downright sinful in that dress, Miss Smoak." Oliver whispered against the shell of her ear.

Felicity scoffed, a mischievous smirk curling up on her lips. "Oh I am well aware…" She turned her head to look at him, shooting him a defiant glance. "…Mister Queen. You should see what I'm wearing underneath it."

"And what's that?"

She smirked, devilish glimmer in her eye as she mouthed: "Nothing."

Oliver let out a breathy laugh and shook his head before fixing his gaze on her, eyes darker than usual. She knew exactly the kind of effect she had on him, and she wasn't gonna go easy on him.

"Stop it with the bedroom eyes, Oliver."

He frowned. "I do not have bedroom eyes."

She scoffed and turned back to look at the dancing couples. "Keep telling yourself that."

Pursing her lips, she took another sip of her drink. Oliver's hand twitched against her back, it was barely there but she could feel it. And then it was gone, taking its warmth with it.

"How about a dance?"

Now, she really didn't want to dance, well, more didn't want to give in to temptation, but given how rarely Oliver was the one offering to dance…. She might just make an exception because he looked damn smoking his tuxedo. She put her glass on one of the tables and held out her hand for him to take, cocking her head to the side.

"Lead the way."

Oliver smirked, taking her hand and walking them onto the dancefloor. Immediately, he pulled her into his arms, hand returning to its spot on her back, sending tingles down her spine. Felicity held on to his shoulder, their chests pressed together, her free hand in his as they swayed across the floor. Her forehead resting against his temple, nose against his neck she could smell his cologne. She let herself close her eyes for a second. They opened a shade darker.

"I'm sorry for going out." He whispered against her hair, the rumble of his voice making goosebumps rise on her skin.

"Oliver, that's not why I'm angry."

His response was silence. She could feel him swallow, and she pulled back to look at him. He wore his signature kicked puppy look and Felicity couldn't help but take pity on him.

"We're supposed to be a team, Oliver. You can't just go out every time you feel like it or something happens. You need to tell me because unlike this time, you might not make it out alive and I will not go through that again without doing everything I can to stop it. Do you have any idea how much I worry when you're out there? I can't lose you. Even though you're a self-sacrificing masochist at times, you asked me to be your wife. And I want to, because you're my partner, but you gotta let me help you. That's what partner's do."

She could see it dawning on him as she continued to speak. His lips were pursed and they stopped moving.

"Felicity…" He paused, sighing softly, defeat in his eyes. " I'm so sorry. I didn't…"

"I know. That's why I'm telling you."

She smiled a sad little smile and pressed her lips into a firm line.

"I know that you will never stop doing stupid things, but at least let me help you do them, alright?"

Oliver let out a breathy laugh. "Alright. I'm sorry. I love you and I don't know what I would do without you."

Squeezing his shoulder, she pushed up on her tiptoes to press her forehead against his. "You won't ever have to find out."

He sighed in relief, letting his eyes fall shut as he pulled her close. "Am I allowed to kiss you, again?"

Felicity laughed. "Oh well, okay then."

The touch of his lips was sweet but urgent and determined, full of passion that would normally be reserved for private occasions. Not that she really minded. After all, that kiss was what had her end op on that expensive desk, screaming out the lord Jesus' name.


	40. Chapter 40

Nothing had changed, not really. The city was still burning, its inhabitants still in danger from an army of masked men. Slade was out for blood, but yet that wasn't Oliver's first concern. It should have been, but it wasn't.

No, Oliver was trying to wrap his head around the sudden shift he felt concerning a certain babbling blonde. That's right, Starling city was on fire and he was thinking about Felicity.

And you know why? Because she always believed in him, even now, when he had failed, once again, to protect the people in his beloved city. This time it was his fault, his past that haunted Starling and Felicity not once blamed him. Other had, countless of time, but never her. She had an endless supply of trust and faith in him that he usually took for granted.

Not this time, though. No, this time he held her in his arms after she'd promised him he would never be alone. And that's when he realized. He cursed at himself for not realizing it sooner, but that didn't make it any less true.

Oliver Queen is in love with Felicity Smoak.

Now that he's admitted it, to himself at least, he has started mentally retracing their steps. Their dance. And he realizes that he was gone the moment he stepped into that little cubicle. Flashes of past interactions pop up in his head as the flowery scent of her shampoo, mixed with a little sweat and a hint of the rusty smell of blood from her head wound finds its way to his nose. Taking a deep breath, he holds her a little tighter, letting himself linger in this little moment because it might be their last.


	41. Chapter 41

Waking up with Felicity in his arms was the first good thing that happened to Oliver on his birthday. At the time, he didn't even realize that today was the day of the big 3-0. After hours of driving, and a night spent in a little bed and breakfast, they had arrived in southern California, where they had rented out a little beach house for a few days.

The salty breeze coming from the ocean blew in through the open French doors, the sheer white curtains billowing as the sun peeked into the bedroom. Felicity hummed low, turning in his arms, pressing her nose against his chest. Even though the temperatures were rising already, she craved his warmth like he did hers.

The second good thing that happened to him was the smile that appeared on her lips when she woke from her slumber. She pressed her lips to his sternum before looking up to meet his gaze. Her adorable dimples and the sparkle in her eyes made his heart beat faster than it ever had before.

He couldn't remember the last time he was this content. This happy. All he had to worry about was holding Felicity in his arms. Nothing else mattered.

"Good morning." Felicity whispered before reaching up to kiss him. Her tongue swiped over his bottom lip and he sighed into her, deepening the exchange. They moved slow and languidly, Oliver's arm tightening around her back, palm burning into her already heated skin.

Oliver groaned when she pulled away, bumping her nose to his, smile still in place.

"Come join me in the shower?" She murmured huskily, eyebrow quirking up as she slid out of his arms. She sat up, the sheets pooling around her waist, leaving her torso gloriously naked before him. Smirking, she pushed off the bed and walked towards the adjoining bathroom giving her hips a little bit extra swing. She turned to look over her shoulder, hand on the door frame as she smiled at him cheekily. Oliver could feel himself getting worked up and the moment he heard the water turn on, he practically jumped up from the bed and made his way to the shower stall.

That was the eighth good thing that he counted that day. In the shower alone he counted two more. The steaming coffee and the freshly baked bread were the eleventh and Felicity walking into the kitchen wearing nothing more than a flimsy red string bikini and a crochet cover up was the twelfth.

They end up spending the day at the beach, at Felicity's request. Oliver slowly starts to love the ocean again as he finds that hauling Felicity over his shoulder while she mock-fights him so he won't drop her in the water is the funniest thing ever. Of course they both end up soaked, but after the initial cold and anger, Felicity comes around sets an actual water fight in motion. Oliver held up his hands in defeat, slowly wading closer to her. Her eyes squinted, she was ready to attack, but when Oliver doesn't retaliate, she lets herself relax in his arms. It's a good thing it was a private beach because naturally with these two horny teenagers, things escalated after that pretty quickly.

When it's time to go back to bed, Oliver has counted twenty five good things that happened that day. Lying back against the pillows, he was trying to read one of the books he found in the owner's bookcase. He used to never have time for simple things like that, so he wanted to take advantage of it. That thought was quickly discarded when the twenty sixth good thing that day walked into the bedroom. Clad in black lingerie, holding a platter with strawberries, molten chocolate and a single burning candle, Felicity stood before him. Her skin was glowing golden from the sun, her freckles more prominent than usual and her hair a mess of wavy curls from the salty water.

"What's all this for?" He asked, looking her over approvingly while putting his book on the bedside table.

She smirked, her eyes glittering with mirth. "Happy birthday, Oliver."

His eyebrows flew up towards his hairline. "That's today?"

Felicity let out a breathy laugh and stepped closer towards the bed, setting the platter on a fairly evened out spot and sitting down on the edge.

"Yeah, well I figured you didn't want to make a big deal out of it, because of the terrible things that happened the past years, but I wasn't gonna let it go by without saying anything. You're turning thirty. That's a big deal."

Smiling, Oliver reached for her hand, squeezing it lightly. "Honestly. I forgot. I didn't exactly get to keep track of the date in Nanda Parbat and since I'm back, and now here with you, I didn't really bother."

Felicity blushed, ducking her head. "So… this isn't too much?"

"Are you kidding? Have you seen yourself in that outfit? I could never, not in the next fifty six years, get enough of that." Oliver smiled softly, stealing a strawberry from the plate and dipping it in the chocolate.

"Plus, strawberries are my favorite." He chuckled as he popped the treat into his mouth.

Laughing, Felicity scooted a little closer as the both of them covered a strawberry in chocolate. They clinked them together like glasses, toasting to Oliver's birthday. Oliver pulled her in for a kiss, murmuring the three words he had repeated over and over again against her lips once more.

"I love you."

Felicity smiled and rested her forehead against his. "I love you, too."

They managed to get most of the chocolate into their mouths, but when fighting over the last strawberry, Felicity managed, whether intentionally or not, to let the chocolate drip onto the tops of her breasts. Oliver was there immediately to help her clean up, his tongue laving at the delicate skin while his fingers worked the clasps behind her back. The flimsy piece of fabric was quickly tossed to the floor, next to the platter and the burned up candle.

Oliver laid her down against the pillows, moving his lips down her body. He had to be careful not to literally rip her panties off of her in his eagerness. Felicity sat up, beautifully naked, her hands roaming over his torso, fingers dipping in the waistband of his linen shorts. Soon, those had vanished as well and his weight was settled comfortably between her thighs, his hardness pressing into her folds as they kissed. The taste of chocolate on her tongue was intoxicating. Oliver reached for the bedside table when she pulled away. Opening his eyes, he saw her bite her lip and shake her head.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

Felicity nodded, pulling his mouth back to hers, arms wrapping around his back and her nails digging into the skin as he finally thrust home. She arched off the bed with a sharp breathless cry. They set a slow pace, putting the emphasis on the love they had for each other. Oliver couldn't stop kissing her as he moved, he swallowed her moans and cries and sighs. His hands moved over every inch of her body, as Felicity's did his.

She flew apart around him after he put pressure on her clit. Her walls clenched and fluttered around him, setting of his own climax. Clenching his teeth, he held onto the headboard as he thrust into her one, two, three more times, guiding her through her orgasm, prolonging it as long as he could before spilling onto her. Felicity was wrapped around him like a blanket, breathing heavily as she came down from her high. Letting his weigh rest on top of her, Oliver kissed her temple and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. She was smiling at him as he moved his lips over hers and moved to, unfortunately, pull out.

They moved around in bed a little bit and settled in a comfortable position for cuddling. Felicity's head on his shoulder, Oliver's arm around her as his free hand played with her fingers. Felicity teased a leg between his , feet tangling in the sheets. Pressing a kiss to his Bratva tattoo, Felicity looked up at him. She met his gaze, and smiled at the goofy upturn of his lips. Oliver could be mean and scary and broody all he wanted, but she would never forget that stupid grin.

"So? Fifty six years, huh? That's a pretty specific number. You wanna tell me about that?" She asked.

Oliver let out a breathy laugh, running his thumb over her knuckles as he kissed her hair.

"I helped Barry fight Wells, and he gave me some insight about the future. The living to be eighty six years old kind."

Frowning, Felicity was quiet for a moment until she shook her head and looked back up at him.

"I have so many question about how Wells can know what's in your future, but eighty six. That's not bad. That's really good actually."

He smiled and lifted their joined hands to kiss the palm of her hand. "And it would be even better if you would be by my side for all of it. If you'll have me, of course."

Felicity was actually glowing at that point. Her smile so bright and her eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree.

"I would love nothing more." She sighed wistfully, closing the gap between their lips. The thirtieth good thing that happened to Oliver that day.


	42. Chapter 42

"So, I know it's a little unusual to let the bride speech, but I have this anecdote that I've been dying to tell."

Felicity stood next to her groom on the little podium the table for the bridal party was placed on, looking over the grand ballroom the reception was hosted in. Oliver looked up at her suspiciously as a low chuckle ran through the crowd made up of friends and family of both the bride and groom.

"When I was sixteen years old, I went to a party my best friend was throwing. It was a great party, but we had this really extreme sexual tension since we had accidentally kissed a while before that but that's a whole other story."

Shaking her head, Felicity thought back to that ridiculous encounter. How does one trip over their own feet and land mouth on mouth on ones best friend anyways?

"All our friends were there so he took me upstairs to his room and told me: "I literally think I'm in love with You." As it turned out, I was also in love with him and we ended up kissing for an hour or so straight."

Peeking down, she could see the grin that was spreading on Oliver's face. He knew exactly where this was going. Their friends and family were laughing

"Then, he finally started pulling up my shirt and his mom walks in. I was mortified and started blushing from head to toe. She doesn't even flinch and looks at her barely legal son and you know what she says? "Hey son I'm ordering pizza. Oh, hi girl who is making out with my son." And she just continues talking like nothing is wrong."

By now Moira knew how the story was going to end too. Felicity spotted her chuckling, lightly shaking her head at her table. Smiling, Felicity fiddles with her dress a little and lets out a nervous laugh.

"The guy still had his hands up my shirt and finally he goes: "Mom! It's my birthday!". At this point I'm still frozen in place, utterly amazed at what's going on but somehow we ended up snuggled on the couch with pizza."

The crowd laughs and Felicity lets her hand wonder to Oliver's shoulder, squeezing it lightly until he looks up at her, big goofy grin on his face.

"And that's the story of the first time my husband told me he loved me."

Oliver tilted his head to the side and gazed up at her lovingly. The crowd let out a few awh's and whistles. Smiling brightly, Felicity bent down to kiss her husband, but he had other ideas. Oliver's hands moved to her hips, gripping them firmly, twisting her in his arms and pulling her into his lap. Taken a little aback, Felicity let out a huff of air and smiled breathlessly. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and finally kissed him, cheering and whistling erupting all around them. Not that they noticed.


	43. Chapter 43

"She's so small." Sophie sighs wistfully, reaching up on her toes on the little stool to peer over the edge of her baby sister's crib. A hand steadies her at her back as her mom bents down and presses a kiss to the top of her head.

"Mommy?" She looks up, greeted by a warm smile and familiar blue eyes hidden behind thick frames.

"Yes, baby?" Felicity whispers at her now three year old daughter while reaching into the crib to calm her week old little girl. The baby had started stirring a little, clenching her little fists and emitting small groans of displeasure. Felicity let her hand softly run over Amelia's belly, hoping to ease her daughter's discomfort a little.

"Was I that small when I was born?" Sophie rests her chin on her hands on the edge of the crib

They were ecstatic when they found out Felicity was pregnant. The first time. They had been trying for a while and Felicity was starting to get a little worried when the little plus had shown up on the screen of the lilac and white plastic stick.

Oliver cried when they found out they were having a girl.

They had expected that one would be enough. Things turned out a little differently. The second pregnancy wasn't planned, but not an accident either. They hadn't exactly been using a lot of birth control.

Oliver cried again when they found out they were having another girl.

He would have loved a son, but to have another tiny Felicity run around the house couldn't have made him happier. They would just have to try again for a boy, and that was fine.

And now his second daughter was here. Born on the 18th of June, at 5:46 in the morning, after a long and draining labor taking up 20 hours at least. Felicity would tell you it was all worth it. When she finally held her baby, nothing else mattered. The tiny pink human wriggling in her arms was the center of her entire universe. The loud shrieks the girl let out barely registered as she calmly soothed her with tears of happiness in her eyes. She vaguely remembers Oliver's lips against her forehead, his hand reaching for his eyes in her peripheral vision and the wetness on his fingertips when he held her hand.

Less than 6 hours later, they were sitting in the hospital bed with their two daughters. Sophie admiring the tiny human in her mother's arms, pressing feather light kisses to her sister's head. It was one of the cutest things both Oliver and Felicity had ever seen, and one of their happiest memories.

Felicity's hand trailed down her daughter's back and she leaned in closer. Smiling, she whispered: "Even smaller."

Sophie's eyes went wide and she straightened her back to look up at her mom. "Really? But she's already so tiny."

Felicity chuckled and nodded. "Yup. Daddy could hold you in just his hands." She held up her hands in the way she remembered Oliver holding their daughter to emphasize her point. Sophie looked at her in disbelief when the sound of a familiar voice came from the doorway.

"She's not lying, Soph." He pushed off of the doorframe and made his way to his wife and daughters. A hand snaked its way around Felicity's waist and he leaned in to kiss her temple. She was still feeling a little exhausted, recovering from giving birth and she immediately leaned against Oliver's chest for support. Oliver's thumb was tracing circles on her hip while he explained to Sophie that she was born a little prematurely, which made her a little smaller than the average newborn. But she didn't have to worry, because she was gonna grow big and strong like all the other kids. And if she would ever get picked on for being a little smaller or for her glasses, her dad would teach her how to be tough and get rid of all the bullies. She would be the toughest little girl in preschool.


	44. Chapter 44

Next to him, Felicity punched in a code on the floor buttons in the elevator. 33, 12, 18, 5, 26 and help. Brows knitting together in confusion, he glanced at her as the car started moving. The silence between them stretched on, his fingers subconsciously rubbing together as he watched the numbers on the screen decrease, going past the lobby and the basement parking lot. He trusted her with his life, but he had been kind of confused when she had asked him to come to Queen Incorporated that evening.

He had complained that he would have to cancel their dinner reservations for the night, but there wasn't anything left to argue about when she'd said it was important. She had assured him that she was fine when he asked, but she wouldn't say why he had to rush to her office.

The Elevator stopped moving and Felicity wove her fingers through his. She looked up at him with a warm, reassuring smile on her lips as the door slid open. It took him a moment to tear his gaze away from hers but when he did, what greeted him wasn't that old abandoned extra basement level his father had planned on being a bomb shelter, but a high tech secret hide-out for a hooded superhero.

"Nobody knows about this floor." Felicity whispered.

"It's not even in the blueprints." Oliver replied.

She nodded and licked her lips as he took in the brightly lit room. There was a computer station for Felicity, with countless screens for her to keep watch of the city and destroy those who try to hurt it - without the use of violence. A big conference table in the middle, a secluded medical area and bathroom and a million and one training dummies and arrow targets. The far end lined with glass cases, his old, worn out Arrow suit in one of them, his new one right next to it. Without him having realized it, they'd walked into the new lair, Oliver's gaze trained on the sealed case holding his old green leathers.

"I thought you might want to keep it in here, because of its sentimental value."

Oliver nodded. "When did you.." At a loss for words, he gestured around the room with his free hand.

She shrugged. "You want the short or the long story?"

Quirking up an eyebrow, Oliver stared at her. "How about the whole story?"

Playfully, she nudges his shoulder with her own and sighs. "Well, when I turned out to be CEO of Palmer Tech, I got access to a lot more files, after some research I discovered that this place never got finished after your father passed away. It's not on the blueprints because it's a highly classified location in case of extreme emergency. If everything was going to go as planned, it was never to be used. So, I programmed the elevator to need a code to give access to this floor, and so we wouldn't have to open the three foot thick door every time we come down here and I started designing this place."

She ran her fingers over the back of one of the leather chairs next to the conference table. Oliver exhaled loudly and looked around the extensive room again. Felicity squeezed his hand a little.

"Look, I know you were happy without this part of our lives and I know you didn't plan on suiting up again, that you're partly doing this for me. Oliver, I love you more than I have loved anyone, ever, but I can't be selfish. This city needs you as much as I do, and I think you know it too. I never thought I'd say this, but I never realized how much I needed our night job. It's part of who I've become and it's part of who you are. I know it's hard, the way it ended, in so many ways, but I thought a new, secure place, which location is unknown to a lot more people, might help you see a future of being the Green Arrow."

She looked up at him hopefully before he let out a long, heavy breath and nodded. He took her free hand in his, pulling it up to his lips to kiss her knuckles. They're only inches apart, Felicity's behind pressed to the edge of the conference table. Oliver slowly wrapped his arms around her, lips against her temple, softly murmuring in her ear.

"What did I do to deserve you, Felicity Smoak."

Felicity let out a breathy laugh and shook her head against his chest, a hand coming around his back, fingers trailing circles over his dress shirt.

"You just continue to be the good man I know you are." She whispered, pressing a kiss to his neck.

"And I'm sorry we had to cancel dinner tonight, I just thought this was really important."

He pulled away a little so he could look at her, a wicked gleam appearing in his eyes. Oliver smiled a little and pressed his lips against hers.

"It is. Thank you for doing this for me. For us." He kissed her again, this time longer. She hummed against his lips, arms tightening around him.

"And don't worry about the reservation, I'm having someone else for dinner."

Felicity yelped as his hands moved over her ass and hoisted her up on the cold glass of the conference table.


	45. Chapter 45

**LAB PARTNERS**

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!"

The sudden burst of violent words made Oliver look up from his phone. His eyes focused on the source, a tiny girl with a mop of jet black hair with purple streaks framing her face. Suddenly, she spun on her heels, anger and agitation burning behind her blue eyes as she met his. Oliver raised his eyebrows at the determination to will him into dust her gaze held. Oh if looks could kill, he would be in big trouble.

"Oliver fucking Queen is my lab partner." She spat in disgust, just loud enough for him to hear. "Just great. Awesome. Exactly what I needed."

His eyes went wide at the obvious distaste she felt towards his very existence. Looking down at his desk, he swallowed, not daring to look back up. He could see her walk around the large lab station they would be sharing the next semester in his peripheral vision.

She kept muttering to herself as she dropped her books on the station with a loud thud and sat down on the stool next to him. About halfway through class he turned to look at her, lips pursed in caution.

"I'm sorry if I ever did something to upset you. I mean, you obviously don't like me very much but I really want us to get past it because I really need to pass this class and it would be nice if we could be civil."

The girl's face fell, the angry lines between her eyebrows disappearing. She loosened her crossed arms and sighed.

"I'm sorry for my outburst, that was really unnecessary, I don't know you personally but you have quite the reputation." She whispered, glancing at the blackboard to keep track of what the teacher was talking about.

"You shouldn't believe everything in the tabloids." Oliver said with a grin.

"I didn't say anything about tabloids." She bit back. "I'm not that shallow."

Oliver looked away. "Sorry."

They were quiet for a moment, both stubbornly staring off into the distance. Oliver was intrigued, and maybe it was social suicide to be connected to this punk/rock/gothic girl, he didn't really seem to be able to care. At least she wasn't swooning over his supposed fame. He really did hate that.

"So, what's your story, then? Why do you hate me with a burning passion?" Oliver asked.

The girl snorted a little and shook her head. "I don't necessarily hate you, I just… I rather prefer a different lab partner."

"C'mon, just tell me." He nagged her a bit.

She rolled her eyes and looked at him. "I moved here a few weeks ago. My mom remarried and now I have two new stepsisters who have quite the stories about you and your escapades."

Oliver laughed, but when he saw her confused expression, his laughter faded. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah." She deadpanned, rolling her eyes.

He contemplated her answer for a while, imagining what it must be like, moving to a new city in senior year, with only a few months left till graduation. Having to make new friends, leaving your old ones behind, being all on your own.

"I'm sorry." He whispered and for a second he thought that he saw the tiniest of smiles appear on her lips but she quickly but her walls back up.

"You're not gonna demand to know their names so you can have their heads on a pike for disobeying their queen… pun definitely intended."

Oliver raised his eyebrows in confusion. Whatever the evil step-sisters had told her, it sure hadn't

"I don't know what they told you but they certainly don't care about my feelings." He chuckled.

That earned him a smile.

"You're getting one chance. If you're really serious about passing this class, I'm willing to help you. Don't screw it up." She uncrossed her arms and held out her hand.

A lopsided grin appeared on Oliver's face and he shook her hand. "Thank you…."

He raised his eyebrow in question.

"Felicity." She said with a soft smile. "And you can thank me at graduation."

"Fe-li-ci-ty." He let the name roll over his tongue a couple of times. It was smooth like Raisa's beef Stroganoff and he had a feeling he would be saying it a lot more.

Over time, Felicity opened up more to him, about her old life in Vegas, her dad leaving when she was younger. How happy she was that her mom found someone new, someone with a stable job as a detective. Oliver soon found out who exactly her new step-sisters were, and he couldn't exactly blame them for hating him.

He told her about his absent parents, about Raisa and his little sister. They talked about college, about her scholarship to MIT and how Oliver was going to study business because of his father. Felicity tried to encourage him to find something he was really passionate about, but Oliver adamant about making his father proud and taking over the family business.

He found out that Felicity was a year younger than everyone else in their class, graduating at seventeen. He asked her about it not long after he figured out how extremely smart she was.

Oliver passed Chemistry with flying colors thanks to Felicity, and he made sure to thank her again at graduation.

Years later, they ran into each other again in the Queen Consolidated Courtyard. Oliver couldn't believe his eyes, his goth friend from high school was now a genius blonde bombshell.

"Felicity? Is that you?"

Her ponytail whipped around as she turned to look at him from behind thick framed glasses.

"Oliver Queen! Hi, It's good to see you."

"Yeah, you too. Wow, you've changed a lot since I last saw you."

She chuckled. "Yeah, well turned out, the goth thing was a phase."

Oliver laughed, mesmerized by her bright lipstick and the sparkle in her eyes.

"And you too, your hair is shorter and I'm really digging the stubble." She smiled brightly.

"So how have you been? I don't doubt you finished MIT. What are you doing here at QC?"

She let out a breathy laugh. "I actually work here now, in IT. Your dad was very eager to recruit me, you don't happen to have anything to do with that, did you?"

Oliver raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "What? No, of course not."

"You're still a terrible liar."

He chuckled and shook his head. "We only want the best of the best here at Queen Consolidated, and I happened to know that you are the very best."

"Well then you might consider firing the head of IT, because I know children with more brain capacity." She chuckled, the melodious sound making Oliver's head spin.

"We could discuss the issue over dinner?" He prompted.

"As in, like a date. A date-date?" She asked, her nose scrunching up adorably.

Oliver chuckled, feeling like a nervous teenager again, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Like a date-date."

Felicity blushed a little and nodded. "I would love that."


	46. Chapter 46

"Oh my god, you don't think I can pull this off." Felicity said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Dig and Oliver both fell silent, turning their heads to look at her. Felicity fiercely stared back at Oliver, definitely not shying away from this one.

Oliver let out a nervous laugh. "It's not that… I just…"

Felicity was having none of it and shook her head while shooting daggers at him with her gaze.

"Oh cut the crap, Oliver. This isn't about me being safe. I'll be as safe as I can be with you and Dig looking out for me. You just don't think I could pass as a stripper."

Oliver sighed. "…Felicity"

Rolling her eyes, Felicity help up a finger to shut him up. "John, would you give Oliver and me a second please? We need to have a little chat."

Dig raised his eyebrows and let out a strangled laugh before standing up, patting Oliver on the back on his way out.

"Good luck man, you're gonna need it."

When they heard the heavy door of the foundry fall shut, Oliver's let his shoulders hang.

"So? Let's talk." He prompted.

Felicity uncrossed her arms and made her way to her computers. Confused, Oliver walked up to her, to see what she was doing but before he could see anything, she shoved him into her chair.

"We're not going to talk. You're gonna sit here and I'm gonna convince you that I can do this."

Oliver's eyes went wide but before he could protest, Felicity took off her glasses and hit enter on her keyboard, a thrumming base echoing off the foundry walls. She smirked at him as he sat there, dumbstruck. Slowly and with an extra sway to her hips, she walked away from him. When there were a few feet between them, she started rolling her body to the music, her hands crawling up her body to where her ponytail was tied. She pulled the hairband from her hair, shaking her head when her hair was free and mussing it up with her hands. Peeking over her shoulder, she smirked seductively at Oliver and could see his jaw tensing as he swallowed. Her plan was working. She winked at him and turned around, pulling at the top buttons of her blouse until they popped open. She tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth, looking at Oliver through hooded eyes.

One of her hands wandered into her half-open shirt, moving over her curves like Oliver's would. She saw his fingers twitch, like he was aching to touch her as she touched herself. Felicity grinned and tugged her blouse out of her skirt, haphazardly tossing it to the floor, leaving her in her bra.

Swaying her hips to the music, she lowered her body to the floor until she was sitting on her knees, spreading them a little to hike up her skirt. It was driving Oliver mad. Keeping eye-contact, Felicity reached behind her and unzipped her skirt, pulling it off over her head. Oliver swallowed, hard, his knee frantically bouncing up and down. She smirked and crawled towards him. She knew exactly the effect she had on him and she was using it to her advantage. Not even Oliver Queen could hide the bulge that was currently throbbing in his pants.

She put her hands on his knees when she reached him, parting them a little further, trailing her nails up his thighs. The guttural groan that escaped from his lips left her utterly satisfied as she crawled up his body, letting her fingers trace just under the hem of his Henley, caressing the heated skin. She hooked one finger into the waistband of his pants, pulling at it a little to tease him while her other hand kept him seated, pressing against his chest. She hovered in front of him, lips less than an inch apart, their breath mixing. Felicity licked her lips, pulling Oliver's attention away from her eyes just before she pulled away, standing up straight and turning around, giving him a perfect view of her panty-clad behind. She twirled with her hips, letting her hands run over her body and into her hair. Putting her hands on the armrests of her chair, she twirled her hips again, this time right over his lap.

Oliver groaned, his knuckles white as he held onto the chair, trying not to touch her. Felicity smirked again turned back around to face him. With her hands on his shoulders, she climbed into his lap, knees on either side of his hips, grinding down against him.

Her lips attacked his neck as her fingers twisted in his hair, slightly tugging.

"Fuck… Felicity…" He grunted.

She chuckled. "That's the plan."

And then his hands were on her, touching all the places she had herself, his lips closing the distance to hers as he swiftly undid the clasp of her bra. Letting the garment fall to the floor, Felicity wrapped her arms around his shoulders. With his hands on the underside of her thighs, Oliver lifted her out of the chair and onto the cool metal of her desk. She winced because of the sudden cold, giving him the space to get rid of his shirt before attacking her mouth with his again.

About an hour later, Diggle got a text from Oliver.

'Operation Siren is a go. 30 minutes.'


	47. Chapter 47

The first time he told her, he was eight and she was seven. They had been best friends for as long as either of them could remember and today was the day of their weekly trip to the park. Oliver's mom had given them some money to get ice-cream because the usually dreary Starling City weather had taken a complete 180 degree turn. It was scorching hot.

"I think I'm in love." Oliver said as they walked back to their moms at the picnic table, ice-creams already melting in the hot summer sun.

"Really? With who?" Felicity lisped, her two front teeth missing and her eyes wide in excitement.

"You, silly!" Oliver poked her side, making Felicity giggle.

Putting a hand over her mouth, cheeks blushing bright red under her bright pink glasses.

"What's it feel like?" She asked curiously.

Oliver thought for a second, taking a lick of his ice-cream before it could drip onto his hand.

"I get really happy when I see you."

Felicity pursed her lips and nodded. "Well then I'm in love with you, too."

Oliver smiled at her before frowning. "Are we boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

Lifting an eyebrow, Felicity thought about the question.

"I think so."

They both laughed, suddenly a little nervous.

"Can I kiss you?" Oliver asked.

Nodding, Felicity took his hand and they shared a quick peck before hurrying back to their moms to tell them the exciting news.

The second time it happened, was ten years later. Felicity was helping Oliver study for an upcoming History test because despite the age difference, they were both in their senior year of high school. Oliver always said it was because Felicity would be president of the world someday.

"I think I'm in love." He'd said, lying on his back, history book forgotten next to him on the bed.

Felicity put her book down and glanced at him. That had caught her attention. She scooted a little closer to him and pushed her glasses up into her hair.

"Really? With who? Laurel?" She asked.

Oliver sat up and shook his head. "No. With you, silly." He remembered the conversation they'd had a decade ago, he doubted she did judging by the surprised look on her face, and then the blush that started spreading across her cheeks.

"Me? Why.. would you?... I'm not as… I mean…" She stammered, her eyes wide.

Leaning closer, faces mere inches apart, Oliver took her hand and smiled softly.

"Can I kiss you?" He whispered.

It took her a second to respond with the gasped uh-uh and the slight nod of her head but then their lips met and fireworks seemed to ignite all around them and electricity sparked where they touched.

The third time was at their wedding. Oliver was twenty eight and Felicity twenty seven. After a beautiful ceremony and after most of the fun activities at the reception, the bride and groom were lounging at their table. Felicity's back was leaning against his chest, his arms around her waist and his head resting against hers as her fingers were softly stroking patterns on his hand.

He kissed the spot just under her earlobe as they watched the crowd dance and had whispered the words.

"I think I'm in love."

Felicity was quiet for a long time, her ministrations never faltering. He could see her smile in the way her cheeks contorted. She took a deep breath and turned her head a little towards him.

"Really? With who?" she asked.

He kissed her temple. "With you, silly."


	48. Chapter 48

The question comes up way to early on a Sunday morning. The sun had just started peeking through the curtains and both Oliver and Felicity knew that that could only mean one thing: She was awake. As much as they loved their daughter, 7 am was a big no-no on their day off. Usually, one of them –mostly Oliver- would get out of bed to turn on the TV and play a Disney movie, or set her up with some crayons at the kitchen table. Little Sophie was quite independent like that, could entertain herself for hours.

Today, she wasn't really feeling it. Oliver had gone downstairs with her and put on The Little Mermaid, one of her favorites. He'd prepared her some lemonade in her sippy cup, kissed the top of her messy head and sleepily headed back upstairs to cuddle his equally sleepy wife.

Oliver slipped back into bed, wrapping his arm around Felicity's expanded abdomen, hand softly stroking the yet unborn fourth member of their little family. Felicity hummed in appreciation and scooted back into her personal heating pad. After that, they were allowed seventy two minutes of uninterrupted sleep.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Sophie had whispered from the foot of their bed.

Unwrapping himself from around Felicity, Oliver rubbed his eyes and sat up a little.

"Hi, pumpkin. What's wrong? Didn't like the movie?" He asked, gently stirring Felicity awake as she turned onto her other side, reaching for him.

Sophie shook her head, clutching the plush bunny her aunt Thea had gotten her close to her chest.. "No daddy. I wove the wittle mewmaid. Awiel is my favowite pwincess."

Oliver had to suppress the amusement of hearing his daughter struggle with the r's and l's. Felicity gripped his forearm and pushed herself up against the pillows, swatting him away when he tried to help her.

"Then what's wrong baby?" She asked after sending Oliver a look, quietly telling him to stop hovering.

Sophie was quiet for a moment and then her bottom lip started trembling, tears welling up in her blue eyes. She sniffled, wiping her tears with her stuffed bunny.

"Oh baby, c'mere! Come cuddle with mommy and daddy." Felicity's 'early morning I haven't even had my one cup of coffee yet'-grumpiness melted away like snow before the sun as the four year-old wiped at her tears. Sophie had her wrapped around her tiny, still slightly chubby fingers. But then again, Oliver was a sucker for his daughter too. He would move mountains just to make her smile.

Sophie climbed onto the bed and crawled her way into her parent's embrace. Felicity hugged her close and kissed the top of her head. Oliver pulled the comforter from underneath and back over her to keep her warm.

"What's the matter, baby? What's got you so upset?" Felicity asked, her voice pitched a little higher than usual, as she always did with Sophie.

The little girl sniffled again and looked up at her dad with big, sad, puppy eyes. Oliver suddenly felt the need to buy her a pony.

"Why wasn't I invited to youw wedding?" She asked.

Two sets of eyebrows climbed their way up on forehead, wide eyes meeting for a second, both unsure of how to proceed. Felicity swallows, her brain rattling to think of a decent reply. She's about to speak up, but not before Sophie can launch into her maternally inherited ramblings with missing r's and l's.

"Awiel married Pwince Ewic and her whole famiwy was there, even the fwish! They wooked so happy. I'm youw famiwy, but I wasn't at youw wedding. I wanted to see mommy in her pwetty dwess and eat cake. Didn't you inwite me because I was being naughty?"

Felicity sighed, her heart breaking a little for her daughter. "Oh honey, of course not. You weren't being naughty, I promise you."

She started pressing kisses to Sophie's cheeks. "Oh baby, mommy and daddy love you so much. We would have invited you to our wedding if we could have."

Sophie frowned. "Why couldn't you?"

Oliver let out a soft chuckle and reached out to ruffle Sophie's hair. "You weren't born yet, sweetie."

She looked confused, waiting for Oliver to elaborate.

"Mommy and daddy hadn't decided that they wanted a baby yet. You hadn't started growing in your mom's tummy yet."

The answer seemed acceptable to Sophie because she turned to Felicity, poking the swell of her abdomen.

"I was in your tummy?" She asked with big curious eyes.

Felicity nodded and put a hand over her stomach. "And when you got out of there, we loved you so much that we knew we wanted to have another baby one day. And now I'm keeping your little brother safe in here until he's ready to meet you."

Sophie giggled, putting a hand over her mouth. "I thought you ate too many ice-cream."

Felicity laughed, kissing Sophie's forehead, meeting Oliver's teary gaze over her blonde curls. He wrapped an arm around his girls, leaning his head against Felicity's. Putting both of her hands on Felicity's stomach and leaned in close.

"Come out when you're weady so we can pway together okay?" She whispered before pressing a kiss to her mom's stomach.

"Oh!" Felicity yelped. "Did you feel that Soph?!"

The girl nodded with wide eyes, gaze going from one parent to the other. She'd never felt the baby kick before, and the shock on her face was kind of amusing and extremely adorable.

"I think he loves you already, pumpkin." Oliver said smiling.

Sophie grinned from ear to ear and leaned back over Felicity's stomach.

"I wuv you too, baby." She whispered before launching herself at her parents.

"Thank you fow keeping him safe, mommy."

Now Felicity was crying, gripping Oliver's shirt like an emotional lifeline, her free hand running circles over her daughter's back. Oliver pulled them both against his chest, pressing a kiss into Felicity's hair, trying to keep his emotions under control.

"You're welcome, sweetie." Felicity whispered.


	49. Chapter 49

It had started with mood swings. From grumpy to crying to 'life is beautiful and I'm so glad to have you in mine' faster than you can say; you have failed this city. As much as pre-island playboy Ollie would like to brag, Oliver did in fact not know everything about the female body and assumed Felicity was experiencing an extreme case of PMS. He found her crying over a puppy commercial and tried to sooth her pain with chocolate and wine. She cried even harder because of how sweet and thoughtful he was. Five seconds later, she was pissed as hell because; "NO OLIVER, I'm not on my period every time I'm sad or annoyed, god!"

The next morning they argued about the damp towel he'd left on the bed and had make-up sex on the same damp bed ten minutes later. That part he didn't really mind.

Then came the nausea, sending Felicity hurling towards the bathroom every few hours. She brushed it off as the flu going around again, but when she didn't get a fever, she figured she had just eaten something bad. Nothing to seriously worry about, right?

Things got worse fairly quickly after that. The mood swings didn't fade and neither did the nausea. Enter an extra dose of sensitive breasts and bloating and you'll be sure to get a grumpier version of Felicity than usual. She wasn't feeling herself, and the added frustration of constantly having to run to the bathroom and crying over the stupidest things didn't really helping her to feel comfortable and confident.

Oliver had asked Dig to do the patrols for the night, so he could have a night off to spend with Felicity, cuddle on the couch, pepper her with kisses and feed her strawberries. To make her feel a little bit better. That's what he was hoping to accomplish.

They had a lovely night of relaxing, spending most of it indeed cuddling on the couch, Oliver functioning as her pillow while she was wrapped up in a blanket and they watched a movie.

Everything changed when they decided it was time for bed. Oliver was sitting up against the headboard, reading something on his tablet while Felicity was getting ready for bed in the bathroom. He heard the by now familiar sounds of Felicity heaving into the toilet. Before he could put the tablet down and climb out of bed to check on her, she called out.

"Don't you even dare come in here, Oliver. I can handle this."

So, he obliged and settled back into bed. If she could have not to worry internally, she would have, but even Felicity knew by now that Oliver Queen and the constant worrying was a package deal.

It took her another ten minutes to hesitantly walk out of the bathroom in her pajamas, sporting her 'I'm solving a very difficult coding problem right now, do not bother me'-face. She walked to her side of the bed, Oliver watching her movements intently. She sat down on top of the blankets, pulling her legs under her.

"Do you think it's possible that I…might be… pregnant?" She said in a soft voice, meeting his eyes for the first time since she walked into their bedroom.

It took a while for the question to dawn on him, the possibility of a pregnancy and what it meant running through his head all at once. He sat there, stunned.

"I mean, I know we were being careful but the signs all add up to why I've been acting so crazy these past weeks. And there was that one week I forgot to refill my birth control…and I…"

Her breath hitched and she looked down at her hands, fumbling with the edge of her pajama shorts. Oliver sighed softly, a thrumming in his heart he'd never experienced before. He was excited. He realized he wanted it to be happening. A child. With Felicity.

Taking her hands in his, he squeezed them softly before reaching for her chin, tipping it up. He kissed her sweetly, foreheads pressed together when they parted, lingering, seeking comfort in each other.

"No matter what, I'll be by your side. We'll make it work." He kissed her again and then he was out the door. Maybe not the best example of always being by someone's side, but Oliver was too busy breaking possibly all traffic laws to get to the nearest 27/7 drugstore to buy Felicity pretty much every kind of pregnancy test available.

Seven months later, he broke even more traffic laws getting her to the hospital to give birth to their daughter.

Another year later, little Sophie tends to make a habit of waking up her parent at way too early hours. Now that she can stand, she attempts to get out of her crib by herself, hanging on to the railing and stomping her little feet until she gets attention.

Oliver groans as he looks at the clock. 4:28 AM.

"Our daughter is crying." He states.

Felicity harrumphs and pushes at his shoulder. "She's your daughter before five AM."

Of course, Oliver isn't going to let his little girl cry until her lungs give out and he rushes out of bed and into the pale pink nursery across the hall from their bedroom. Sophie's face is red from exertion, tears streaking her cheeks. In one swift move, Oliver lifts her out of the crib and into his arms, cooing at her softly while pressing kisses to her cheeks.

He rocks her gently until she quiets down, head resting against his shoulder as she sniffles. Oliver wipes away the leftover tears and because he has a weakness for those big sad eyes, takes her with him into the master bedroom. He lays the little girl down between him and Felicity and like some magical maternal instinct, Felicity immediately curls around the small new person in her bed, a hand gently stroking Sophie's stomach. Oliver lies down next to them, pressing a kiss to both their heads.

He's on his side as he watches them sleep so peacefully. It's these moments that make all the hard and difficult times so worth it.


	50. Chapter 50

Oliver had woken up the second he heard her key slide into the lock to open the front door. Or more like, her trying to get the key into the lock. He heard the faint scratching of metal against metal and finally the key sliding home. The door slid open, Felicity stumbling inside, losing her balance on her high heels, the railing of staircase creaking a little as she hung onto it. He really needed to fix that, the wood was old and someday someone was going to trip and grab for it and it wouldn't hold their weight.

Felicity kicked the door shut behind her, not exactly trying to be quiet at three in the morning. Oliver heard her curse under her breath as she fumbled with the straps on her shoes and one and then the other shoe drop to the wooden floor with a thud. Her purse and coat followed and then she was padding up the stairs.

He was waiting for the sound of their bedroom door opening and closing, meaning she was in bed, but it never came. Instead, the footsteps changed direction, coming closer and closer until the door to the guest room opened and the light from the hallway had him rubbing his eyes. Felicity stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the glow. Hesitantly, she stepped inside, closing the door behind her and walking around the bed to the open space next to him.

Oliver rolled onto his side and watched as she let herself fall face first into the pillows and moaned. He reached out to pull her hair out of her eyes, tucking a few strands behind her ear. She hummed in appreciation.

"I thought you wanted to spend the night apart tonight?" He asked her.

Felicity shook her head into the pillow. "I was cold and you're always so warm. Come closer." She slurred.

Chuckling, Oliver sat up to pull the covers out from underneath her, tucking her in before laying down again and pulling her onto his chest.

"You're really soft. You're probably my favorite pillow." She chuckled, pressing a wet kiss against his collarbone.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "How was the party?"

Groaning, she tightened her hold on him a little. "So. Many. Penises."

Oliver couldn't hold back this time, laughter rumbling through his chest. Felicity made a whiny little noise and he quickly settled down.

"I heard that's a recurring theme amongst Bachelorette parties." He chuckled.

If she was sober enough, she would have rolled her eyes, but he had to settle for groaning sound of annoyance.

"Did you have fun?" He asked.

She nodded against his chest. "There were so many gorgeous men, and all I could think about was you."

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Oliver grinned. His heart filled with pride and a weird feeling that he was the Alpha dog and nobody had been able to persuade his lady love to stray. He pushed that feeling way down, never to be spoken of because if Felicity would find out she would have a stern talk with him about how relationships work for people who aren't cavemen.

"So, no cold feet then?"

She chuckled. "On the contrary, my feet, as opposed to the rest of my body, are toasty warm."

"Good. That's what we're going for, Mrs. Queen."

"We're not married yet, Oliver." She snickered.

The following morning, Oliver woke up bright and early to let Thea, the florist, the caterer and a bunch of other people into the house to make everything ready for the wedding. After writing Felicity a toothrottingly sweet note and leaving it on his pillow for her to find, he went downstairs to make coffee. Everyone would arrive to set up shop in about ten minutes, but even Oliver needed caffeine in his system to be able to handle his sister this early in the morning.

On his way down the stairs he stopped, staring at the mess Felicity's had left behind when she'd come home. If the pink feathered boa wasn't tacky enough, there was a matching pink cowboy hat with two glittery pink penises bouncing proudly on top. Oliver stifled a laugh imagining Felicity wearing the damn thing, shook his head, and made a mental note to remember to make her wear it again sometime.


	51. Chapter 51

_**A closer look at what happened the second time Oliver told Felicity he loved her in chapter 47**_

They'd been friends for as long as either of them could remember.

Felicity was helping Oliver study for an upcoming History test. Despite their age difference, with Oliver at eighteen and Felicity barely seventeen, they were both in their senior year of high school. Oliver always said it was because Felicity would be president of the world someday. They in Oliver's room, the books, timelines and flashcards scattered around on his giant king size bed.

"I think I'm in love." He said with a sigh, lying on his back, history book forgotten next to him.

Felicity put her book down and glanced at him. That had caught her attention. She scooted a little closer to him and pushed her glasses up into her hair. Leaning over him, freshly-dyed blonde hair falling around her face like a curtain, she met his gaze with curiosity and excitement.

"Really? With who? Laurel?" She asked.

Laurel and Oliver had been one of those on-again, off-again couples for a couple years now. They were currently on their longest break yet which was why Oliver's sudden love declaration surprised Felicity so much. She'd always supported Oliver's decisions, even when it came to Laurel, but she'd never been sure that those two would permanently end up together one day. It was like a gut-feeling.

Oliver sat up and shook his head. "No. With you, silly."

Felicity leaned back in surprise, eyes going wide, eyebrows flying up into her hairline. Now that truly came as a shock. She could feel the heat flushing her cheeks, her heart beating erratically in her chest.

"Me? Why.. would you?... I'm not as… I mean…" She stammered. Oliver could have any gorgeous, charming and sweet girl he wanted, god knows they were willing, and here he was declaring his love to shy, nerdy little Felicity? No that must be a joke. She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming again, but nothing happened. This wasn't one of her daydreams or her imagination playing tricks on her, this was really happening.

Leaning closer, Oliver took her hand.

"Can I kiss you?" He whispered.

It took her a second to respond with a gasped 'uh-uh' and a slight nod of her head but then their lips met and fireworks seemed to ignite all around them. A buzzing energy ran from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. His lips were soft against hers, moving languidly against hers. Scooting a little closer, Felicity let her fingers trail over his shoulders, wrapping her arms around him to pull him against her. Oliver leaned over her, keeping his balance with one hand while the other found the small of her back.

When they had to part to catch their breaths, Felicity stared at him for a long time, never leaving the comfort of his arms. Having him so close to her was intoxicating in the best way. Their faces only inches apart, breath mixing, as they watched each other.

"How long have you known?" Felicity asked after her brain had restarted after that mind-blowing kiss.

Oliver's eyebrows knit together as he thought about the question, his gaze averting to her shoulder.

"A couple months, I think." He said, looking back up.

Felicity did the math in her head, eyes roaming over his face now that it was so close.

"Is that why you broke up with Laurel?" She asked.

Oliver tilted his head to the side and smiled at her. "It's one of the reasons."

Nodding, Felicity let her hands move over his shoulder, grabbing onto his button-down without even realizing it.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?"

He shrugged and looked down. "I was afraid you wouldn't feel the same way."

A snort that she couldn't have held back even if she'd tried escaped from her throat. It turned into a chuckle and short after she was doubling over in laughter.

"Oliver, I've been pining over you since I was thirteen. I can't believe you didn't even notice. I have probably loved you my entire life. Do you remember that wedding we played out? About ten years ago. All our stuffed animals were invited and our moms took pictures. I still have them somewhere."

Now Oliver was laughing too, and kissing her and god she never wanted him to stop because it felt so right. They made out for what felt like hours and Felicity could feel her lips getting a little chapped, her chin itching from the little bit of stubble he wore these days. She was sitting in his lap, legs wrapped around his waist. Her skirt had ridden up, almost leaving her in her underwear and hadn't been oblivious to the way his jeans tightened when their chests were pressed together. She wasn't going to lie, the friction the seam of his pants caused against her was very pleasant.

She hummed against his lips before pulling away a little. His pupils were blown wide, a slightly frazzled look in his eyes.

"Oliver?" She asked when his mouth latched onto the column of her neck, gasping when he found a particularly erogenous spot.

"Do you want to uhm.."

His lips froze against her neck, slowly pulling back to look at her. "Are you sure?"

Felicity nodded, reaching up to cup his face, thumbs stroking over his cheekbones.

"I've never been more sure. I love you, Oliver."

A bright smile cracked open his worried expression and then he was kissing her again.

"I love you, Felicity." He whispered in her ear before pulling his hands off of her to unbutton his shirt.

Felicity let her hands roam over the bare plains of his chest before tugging her top out of her skirt and pulling it over her head, leaving her in a pink and blue flower printed bra. Oliver lowered her back into the pillows, hovering over her as they kissed. She shrugged out of her skirt as Oliver took off his jeans. His hands were burning hot against her skin, wrapping around her back, unhooking her bra in one swift movement. His gaze met hers before pulling the item away from her body and she nodded, tossing the bra to the floor.

"You're beautiful." He whispered, their lips meeting again in slow kisses, taking the rush out of the situation. They had all the time in the world. With a soft smile Oliver's lips moved down her body, leaving her squirming for more. When he reached the edge of her underwear he moved back up to hover over her, his hand fluttering up and down the inside of her thigh.

"You ready?" He asked softly, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Felicity nodded. "Yeah."

She pulled him closer for another kiss and then his fingers were hooking into her underwear.


	52. Chapter 52

Oliver immediately rushed out of the shower when he heard her shriek, quickly wrapping a towel around his hips and running into the small bedroom their cabin housed, scanning for danger.

What he found was Felicity standing on the bed in her flimsy pale-blue babydoll with a book in her hands, looking terrified without any evidence of actual danger. He relaxed a little as he watched her hop from foot to foot, eyes squeezed shut in terror. Her cheeks were flushed, damp hair sticking to her forehead because of the humid Bali heat.

"What's wrong?" he asked, still soaking wet from the shower.

"The spider! Kill the spider, Oliver! Kill it!" She screeched.

His eyebrows knit together in confusion until he spotted the tiny spider crawling on Felicity's flip-flops. Letting out a huff of air, He looked back up at Felicity.

"You're kidding, right? I came running out of the shower for this little thing?" He said, picking up the flip-flop.

"Does it look like I'm kidding?" Felicity yelled, holding her book as a shield. "Just get rid of it, please."

Oliver chuckled. "Okay, okay! Relax."

"I will relax when that thing is out the window." She replied.

"Slade Wilson, Malcolm Merlyn, or even Ra's Al Ghul? No problem." He chuckled as he opened the shutters keeping the sunlight out, the sound of the ocean nearby getting louder. He shook the spider of Felicity's flip-flop, but left the shutters open on a crack, letting the light breeze cool the room a little.

"One tiny little spider?" He said, turning around to look at her with a smirk.

"Oh hell no." She shook her head, letting the book drop on the bed. "It was huge, Oliver."

Oliver laughed and made his way over to her. He tossed the flip-flop back where he'd found it, putting his now free hands on her hips.

"That's what I hear." He smirked up at her.

She looked at him in confusion for a second before her jaw dropped. She pushed at his shoulder.

"Oh my god, Oliver!"

He laughed. "that's what you were screaming last night."

Felicity sighed in defeat, rolling her eyes and brushing her hair out of her face. "You are unbelievable."

Oliver smiled, but was wise enough to not say his next comment out loud. He wrapped his arms a little tighter around her legs.

"Care to help me finish showering?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Chuckling, Felicity nodded. She yelped when he lifted her off the bed, dropping her weight so they were face to face. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. Pressing a soft kiss to his lips she smiled.

"Only because you saved me from that giant spider."

Oliver smiled, kissing her slightly sunburnt nose and carrying her into the bathroom.


	53. Chapter 53

"Felicity? Are you almost ready to go? We're gonna be late." Oliver called out from the bottom of the stairs. He checked the time on his watch for the third time that night. He'd been waiting in the hall for twenty minutes, which was strange, because usually he was the one running late. He had Felicity's coat draped in one hand, the other nervously tapping his fingers against the banister of the stairs. Tonight was an important night, Mr. and Mrs. Queen would reveal that their last name would be put back on the side of the company they worked for. Palmer Tech would be Queen Incorporated. Felicity had barely managed to fight of a stomach bug before she had to announce the news as CEO.

A muffled cry caught his attention, his fingers stilling on the banister. He hung her coat back on the rack and made his way up the stairs.

"Felicity?" He called out again. No response.

He found her sitting on the floor at the foot of their bed. Her hair and make-up done to perfection, but the tears in her eyes and the top of her dress hanging around her waist revealed that something was very wrong.

"Honey? What's going on? Why aren't you dressed?" He asked softly, walking over and kneeling down in front of her."

"it doesn't fit." She sniffled, pulling another tissue from the box she had next to her.

"What?" Oliver asked, putting a hand on her shoulder, running his thumb over the strap of her bra.

Felicity sniffled again, wiping, carefully not to ruin her make-up, at her tears.

"Oliver, I can't fit into my favorite dress anymore."

He was quiet for a while, thinking about how to proceed. He didn't want to upset her more, but he had noticed the slight weight gain over the past few weeks.

"Oh Felicity…" He sighed, moving to sit down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"I mean, it's not that surprising. Life has been hectic. I haven't been able to go to the gym lately, and the stress eating isn't helping either. I just didn't think it'd be this bad." She cried into his shoulder.

"Sweetheart, It's okay. You're still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And you will always be. I don't care how fat, old and wrinkly both of us will get. I will always love you, Mrs. Queen." He whispered, pressing kisses into her hair.

Felicity turned to smile up at him through her tears. "I love you too, Mr. Queen."

He reached down to kiss her softly before helping her off the floor. Pulling off her dress and kicking it to the side, Felicity wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face into his chest.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "My emotions have been all over the place lately."

"No need to apologize. Rebranding the company has been stressful, and our other job has been pretty demanding lately, too. Let's get you another dress and just relax tonight, alright?"

Felicity nodded let out a breathy laugh, smiling up at her husband, linking their hands together as they walked into the closet. "Yeah. I mean, it's not like I'm pregnant, or anything."

They both froze, Oliver looking at her curiously from where he was leaning against the doorpost. Felicity's hands stilled on the row of dresses she was going through, fingers lingering on a bright pink silky number. Her eyes glazed over, staring into the distance, her brain running at two hundred miles an hour, trying to make sense of what was happening.

She turned to look at Oliver, eyes wide in shock. He had an expression on his face she had never seen before. He'd pushed off the doorpost, stepping a little closer to her, hands reaching for her without him even noticing. His eyes were sparkling with hope and happiness and excitement and so much more. His lips were parted, like he was about to say something but instead they turned into the sweetest smile she'd ever seen.

"Felicity…" He breathed.

Putting a hand over her mouth, she shook her head. "I can't be pregnant."

She laughed nervously. "There's no way. We weren't even trying. I mean… we used…"

Her hand flew to her stomach in realization that hadn't exactly been as careful lately.

"OH MY GOD." She breathed.

"Hey, hey, hey." Oliver whispered, reaching out to cup her cheek, free hand finding hers on her stomach. Felicity shook her hand, eyes wide like a baby deer in the headlights, breathing speeding up. She was close to hyperventilation. Her knees turned wobbly and with Oliver's assistance, she sank down on the floor of the closet.

"I can't do this, Oliver." She squeaked, panic in her voice.

"Felicity, listen to me, take a deep breath, calm down sweetheart, everything's going to okay." He said soothingly, unable to wipe the enormous grin off his face.

"Breathe with me, honey." He said. And she did.

Slowly but surely her breathing returned to normal. Oliver's forehead was pressed against hers as he talked her through her panic attack.

"do you want this?" She asked quietly.

He let his thumb stroke her cheek before he pulled back, nodding. "Yeah. I always did. I didn't know when, but eventually, definitely yes."

"We've been married for less than a year. I want it too, but I'm not sure I'm ready yet. I don't know if I can handle taking care of a baby in our already crazy busy lives."

"We." Oliver muttered.

Felicity's eyebrows knit together? "What?"

Oliver smiled softly, taking her hands in his own. "We handle this. Together. Like we do everything."

Sighing softly, Felicity nodded, smile growing on her face. "I guess we're possibly having a baby. I'll call my OB for appointment first thing in the morning."

Oliver face broke out in a grin, leaning forward to kiss his wife. "I love you, Mrs. Queen." He whispered. "But please get dressed while I go get you a pregnancy test or I'm gonna end up putting another baby in your belly."

Felicity laughed, looking down at her lingerie-clad body. "I don't think that's how it works, Oliver."

He smiled softly before standing up. "I'm willing to try."

Oliver leaned down to kiss her again and then he was out the door to the nearest 24/7 drugstore, to buy his wife almost every brand of pregnancy test available. He got a strange look from the clerk, but he was too hyped up to notice.

There were plusses, double stripes and smiley faces but after the tenth test they decided to leave the rest for a possible next time. They were pretty sure that Felicity was indeed pregnant. They arrived at the party almost two hours late, but that didn't do anything to wipe the smiles off their faces.


	54. Chapter 54

She'd known Oliver for as long as she could remember. They'd been neighbors since always. Oliver was two years older than her, but she'd always been able to keep up intellectually. They were complete opposites. He was in his senior year of high school and star player on the baseball team. She was a junior and the smartest of the Mathletes.

When they were little kids, they had secretly draped tin can telephones from her bedroom window to his. Now that they were in high school, they didn't talk as much as they used to. He was busy with baseball practice and she was focusing on her GPA.

She'd had a crush on him for a while now, maybe ever since she grew into that age when boys became interesting, but that didn't matter, he had a girlfriend now. Gorgeous, model-like Laurel Lance, the most popular girl in school and captain of the cheer squad. When they weren't making out in the hallways during class they would mostly fight, and about the most stupid things too. Felicity often heard the muffled yelling through two sets of windowpanes.

Tonight was no different. It was a regular Tuesday and once again, Oliver was pacing from one wall to the other, arguing into his phone. Felicity watched him for a while, tucking her bottom lip between her teeth and pushing her glasses up her nose before reaching for her notebook and a sharpie.

'You okay?' She wrote in big fat uppercase letters, waiting for him to hang up.

Oliver threw his phone on the bed and sat down on the edge, facing her, running his hands over his face in exasperation. When he spotted her giving him a concerned look he smiled at her and she held up the sign. He let his shoulders hang in defeat, reaching for a notepad and a pen.

'tired of drama' He wrote in blue.

With a gentle smile, she replied with: 'sorry :('

Oliver shrugged and Felicity didn't see him close his curtains because the note with: 'I love you' got crumpled up and tossed into the trash with a defeated sigh.

It wasn't the first conversation they'd had like that. Felicity always had her notebook and sharpie lying around just in case Oliver needed to talk. He did start a conversation too, sometimes, but usually she was the one reaching out when she could see he was upset.

Oliver and Laurel didn't break up after that, and even if they had, they would probably just get back together anyways. Oliver could see her dancing around in her PJ's, making a fool of herself as much as he wanted, but that wouldn't change his mind. They were friends, and even if that was sometimes hard to accept. In her teenage heart Felicity knew that they were meant for each other, but that might not be such a compelling argument.

A couple weeks later found Felicity sitting on the bench in front of her house, reading a book and enjoying the first sunny day of spring. She's right at the good part when Oliver dropped down next to her. They made small-talk for a little while, Oliver excitedly telling her all about the college he wants to go to with his baseball-scholarship. He lights up when he talks about what the future may hold.

A gust of wind blows her hair into her face and Oliver is just right there, brushing a strand she missed behind her ear. He's so close, she can smell his cologne. She stared at him for a long moment, reveling in his closeness and his piercing blue eyes. That was a moment she would be smiling about for a long time.

Until they got interrupted by the honk of Laurel's red convertible. Oliver said goodbye and hopped into the passenger seat. Felicity looked away when the couple engaged in a passionate kiss before Laurel stepped on the gas, leaving dust in their wake.

Everything changed the night Oliver's team, the Starling High Rockets, won the championship. Oliver was celebrating on the field with his teammates, Felicity cheering him on from the bleachers while Laurel had Tommy Merlyn wrapped around her perfectly manicured finger on the sidelines.

From her safe spot up on the stands, Felicity watched the drama unfold when Oliver had turned to find his girlfriend to her lips latched onto his teammates. They had a big fight right in the middle of the celebration and Oliver stormed off into the locker rooms.

Oliver and Laurel broke up that night.

Time passed, and Oliver and Felicity started spending more and more time together, talking late at night, studying for finals together, getting ice cream and watching movies on Sunday afternoons.

Prom night approached. Oliver looked handsome in his suit even through two sets of windowpanes. She watched him straightening his bowtie, blushing when he spotted her. Oliver just smiled and pulled up his notepad.

'you going tonight?' he wrote.

Felicity shook her head. 'no, studying' was her response.

Oliver let his shoulders sag, sighing as he dramatically pouted.

'wish you were!' was the note he held up for her with a sad smile before disappearing from the window.

Her brain seemed to short-circuit in that moment because the next thing she knew, her hair was curled and she was wearing the beautiful dress her mother had made for her, one that she hadn't asked for because 'no mom! I'm not going to prom' but her mother had insisted on. She was glad for that now because Oliver's face when he saw her walk into the ballroom was so incredibly worth it.

It took every nerve in her body to pull out the note she'd written for him weeks ago. Him reaching into his jacket-pocket and pulling out a note with the same three words wasn't the reaction she had expected. They both laughed nervously and Felicity could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. Oliver walked over to her, reaching for her hand, his free one tucking her hair behind her ear and tipping her chin up.

When his lips finally touched hers there were fireworks.


	55. Chapter 55

He didn't like lying to Felicity. Not one bit. But that day, he had no other choice. This was something she could never, ever – okay maybe someday, now he was being a little dramatic – know. He'd convinced the neighborhood dads, David and Peter, to give him the alibi of their monthly fishing trip. They both knew exactly how crucial this moment was in a relationship and they were kind of stunned to find out that it hadn't happened yet with Oliver and Felicity.

They agreed to help him and they drove off at eight AM sharp after kissing their wives, and Oliver his girlfriend, goodbye. But, where David and Peter took a right, heading towards a nearby lake excellent for fishing, Oliver followed the highway back to newly renamed Star City.

He'd called Thea in advance, informing her of his plan. She'd been ecstatic and highly supportive of him using their mother's ring to ask Felicity to marry him. He made her promise she wouldn't tell anyone and she made him promise to make the proposal very special, reminding him that that moment would be engraved in Felicity's memory forever. Like he wasn't scared already. Ra's Al Ghul and an army of soldiers high on Mirakuru, no problem. Asking the woman he loves to be his wife and big bad scary vigilante Oliver Queen was no more than a scared, trembling little puppy who lost his mommy.

He was on his way to the bank, where all the jewels and valuables the Queen Family still owned were kept safe in a vault. After confirming his identity, the bank employee lead him to the back of the bank, going through multiple kinds of security protocols to protect belongings of the idle rich. He punched in the code and the giant metal door clicked, releasing the lock on the handle. Oliver pulled the open the heavy door and stepped inside. There were paintings and vases and stacks of jewelry boxes. It took him a while to find what he was looking for, smiling softly as he looked at the exquisite piece of jewelry nestled into the navy blue velvet bedding. It would look beautiful on Felicity's finger.

He spent the drive back home thinking of the perfect way to ask her. Take her to the beach at sunset, ask her at the top of a Ferris wheel or maybe hire a band to play her favorite song. He weighed the pros and cons of public versus private and elaborate versus personal.

Which brought him to the moment of truth. Under the guise of the anniversary of their first date, which Felicity found sappily sweet already, he'd made her a homemade meal. The room bathed in candlelight, fresh flowers in a vase on the table and the best red wine from their cellar, he was building up the nerve to pop the question over dessert.

Prepping the soufflés was suddenly more difficult than the ten other times he'd prepared the dish. Felicity loved it so he knew it was the way to go, but just what was he going to do with the ring? Carefully, he put the whip cream on top of the pastry in a perfect floof. He concentrated so hard on his task that he didn't even hear the doorbell ring. Nervously toying with the ring he finally decided to stick it into Felicity's soufflé, just a little that she would see it immediately when she would want to take a bite. Wouldn't want her to choke on it.

Satisfied with his creation, he put the two desserts on a serving plate, took a deep breath and walked back into the dining room where Felicity was waiting for him. Or at least he thought she was. He frowned when he found her seat empty. His heart shattered in a million pieces as he spotted Thea and Laurel standing in their living room, Felicity standing next to them with a concerned look on her face.

"You have visitors."


	56. Chapter 56

Finally, Felicity thought as she plopped her suitcase down on the bed, collapsing face first into the down comforter next to it. Her flight had consisted of eight exhausting hours behind a crying baby, and in front of a kid on a sugar rush. And that didn't even include the three long hours spent at Logan International Airport because her plane had been delayed because of the weather.

Boston may be famous for its winters, but it had nothing on the constant Starling City downpour. Soon, she thought to herself. Soon, if she was able to land this job at Queen Consolidated, she would be able to get herself a first class ticket instead of having to fly coach.

Which reminded her, she now had three hours of sleep less than she had been planning on. Groaning, she got up off the bed, pulling her suitcase to the edge and zipping it open. She was too tired, her brain too mushy to realize that it was not her stuff that she was currently unpacking until the suitcase was half empty and she held someone else's boxer briefs in her hands.

"Oh frack." She whispered, quickly dropping the handful of underwear back into the suitcase.

This could not be happening. It wasn't fair. She just wanted to go to sleep and be fresh and well-rested for her interview tomorrow morning. She just wanted her comfy pj's and her stack of snacks. Someone else had her stuff. Her clothes, her toiletries… Felicity shivered in horror… they had her underwear. It took her a moment to calm herself down so she could reason with herself. She called the airline she'd flown with but nobody had called about mixed up luggage yet. So, naturally, she began looking for clues. If there was one thing Felicity hated, it was mysteries, and this suitcase full of expensive menswear and pretty nice smelling cologne was one big mystery.

Until she found a stack of business cards and had to do a double take. A nervous laugh escaped from her lips. Felicity shook her head. No… this couldn't be… She was probably dreaming, still asleep on the plane. She pinched herself, nothing happened. She stared up at the ceiling for a minute.

"Why me?" She asked herself. "Why today of all days and why him?"

The universe must be out to get her. She dropped the business cards on her nightstand and sat down on her bed, reading the four lines over and over again: Oliver Queen, VP Of Queen Consolidated, email: OJQueen , phone: 1-263-739-6733

The yawn she let out after twenty minutes of staring prompted her into taking the hotel phone and dialing the number on the tiny piece of carton. She twisted it in her hand, nervously scratching at the edges with her nails as the low beeping continued. It took him four rings to pick up.

"Hello?" A voice answered and Felicity's breath got stuck in her throat.

He had a really nice voice, low and almost guttural, but soothing and kind at the same time. For a split-second she wondered what it would sound like having her name roll off her tongue. She shook her head a little. Not the time for that, Felicity, she scolded herself.

"Uhm, Hi. My name is Felicity Smoak and I think our luggage got mixed up." She said quickly.

He let out a soft laugh. "Wait, so the lace panties and colorful dresses aren't mine?"

Felicity could feel her cheeks burning red but she couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face.

"I hate to disappoint you, but I really need those back."

He chuckled and Felicity's heart almost surged out of her chest. "Can you meet me somewhere?"

"Yeah of course." She replied, twisting the cord of the hotel telephone around her finger.

"Could you come to my house? I'll pay for your fare of course."

Felicity thought she stopped breathing for a second and was going to pass out.

"Uhmm…" She murmured, a million questions running through her head. Was that appropriate? After all, she was interviewing for his company. Shouldn't they meet on neutral ground, you know, somewhere public in case of stranger danger?

"Yeah, sure. Thank you." The words were out of her mouth before her brain had time to catch up.

"Okay great. I'll text you the address."

"Oh, uhm, you can't, I'm calling from my hotel room right now."

"Ah, okay, you got pen and paper?"

Felicity reached for the little notebook and pen the hotel provided. "Yup." She said, popping the p.

After writing down Oliver's address she put all his stuff back into his suitcase, zipping it up and hauling it off the bed. She pulled on her trench coat and walked down to the run-down lobby waiting for the cab she'd let Oliver call for her.

"Miss Smoak?" A gently voice said after about ten minutes of nervously tapping on her phone.

She looked up to see a greying man in a suit, gloves and hat stand in front of her.

"Yes?" She replied as she stood up from the old ratty couch she'd been sitting on.

"I'm here to take you to the Queens."

"Oh, yes! Thank you." She said with a small smile.

The older man bowed his head for her, gesturing to the suitcase at her feet. "May I help you with your luggage?"

Felicity's eyebrows flew into her hairline. She'd never met such a nice and helpful, and well-groomed taxi driver before. She nodded, letting go of the suitcase, following him outside into the pouring rain. She was glad the hotel at least had a covered driveway. When she passed the sliding doors of the hotel she came to an abrupt halt. She wasn't taking a taxi. Oliver Queen had sent her a freaking town car. A sleek, black, slightly stretched model that had a prestigious feel about it. The driver opened her door for her, and she hesitantly slipped into the way too comfortable leather seats.

The drive to the house took them approximately thirty minutes. The drive down the driveway another seven. Felicity watched in awe as the, not so much a house but a mansion rose up in the dark night sky. Once she was inside, eyes wide, staring at the opulent and glamourous décor, she was ushered into what she guessed was 'one of the living rooms'. She was just standing around, taking it all in, Oliver's suitcase at her feet when a maid came to ask for her coat and inform her that 'Mister Oliver.' Was on his way down.

She didn't have to wait long before Oliver appeared in the doorway. God, he was even more handsome in real life than in the pictures. His picture perfect smile, his kind blue eyes, the tiny laugh lines making him look even more beautiful. And he sure did rock a suit.

"Felicity Smoak?"

Felicity tucked her bottom lip between her teeth to keep herself from melting into a puddle on the floor when he shook her hand.

"HI, I'm Oliver Queen." His hand was callous and warm and manly and for a split-second Felicity wondered what they would feel like on her body.

"Of course." She stammered after pulling her head out of the gutter. "I know who you are, you're Mr. Queen."

He let out a short, breathy laugh. "No! Mr. Queen was my father. Please, call me Oliver."

Felicity ducked her head nervously, his hand still warm against hers. "Alright."

Gesturing to the couch, Oliver turned, his hand moving to the small of her back.

"So? Did you get here alright? Joe can be a bit of a rough driver."

"uhm, about that, you really didn't need to.."

"It's nothing, really. You were generous enough not to steal my belongings so I couldn't just let you end up soaked to the bone in this weather."

Felicity chuckled nervously "A cab would have sufficed. Besides, you forget that you didn't steal my stuff either. I doubt mine would've been of nearly as much profit on eBay, but that's besides the point."

Laughing, Oliver shook his head. "You're funny."

As Felicity sat on the 'wow these are extremely comfortable'-couch, Oliver walked over to the bar cart next to the crackling fireplace.

"Can I offer you a drink? Scotch maybe?"

Felicity shook her head. "Oh no thank you, I'm more of a wine girl. Plus, I really shouldn't be drinking right now, I've got a big job interview first thing tomorrow."

With a glass of golden brown liquor Oliver walked over to the couch to sit down next to her.

"Ah! So that's why you're in Starling?"

Felicity nodded.

"What are you interviewing for?"

"Software Engineering." She answered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, blushing a little . It wasn't because she was ashamed of her passion for technology, but because she couldn't believe Oliver Queen was that interested in her story.

Oliver's eyes narrowed for a second as he took a sip of his drink. "You know, Our company is actually still looking for one, too." He said pensively.

She couldn't help the laugh that escaped from her throat. "Yeah, I know. That's why I'm interviewing there."

Time seemed to stop. Or maybe it was just Oliver who stopped moving. His eyes went wide, glass still at his lips as he stared at her for a moment.

"You okay there?" Felicity asked after a while, gently nudging his knee.

He shook his head, putting his drink on the side table and straightened his back. "I'm sorry. You're the genius firewall developer my dad has been talking about all week?"

Felicity laughed, earning a quirk of an eyebrow and a questioning look from Oliver.

"Oh, you're serious?!" She asked, mouth falling open.

With a laugh, Oliver nodded. "Yeah. He's been talking about your accomplishments ever since you agreed to interview."

"Oh…wow.." Felicity said, still quite stunned that she'd managed to impress Robert Queen, owner of a multibillion dollar company specialized in advanced technology. If she wasn't blushing already, she certainly is now.

"He's even interviewing you himself. He never does that. You must be very special."

Felicity ends up getting the job, with even quite a lot more pay than she would have expected. Over the span of a couple of months she and Oliver get to know each other better, Oliver always coming down to her office with the most ridiculous excuses. There were work-functions, corporate lunches and meetings. They worked well together, like a well-oiled machine. Oliver was the one to fall faster, but Felicity wasn't far behind. She was just more worried about company policies and quite frankly, the gossip that a relationship with 'the boss' son' would ensue.

It took Oliver a few weeks, five flower arrangements and bouquets, twelve different flavors of ice-cream –he finds out mint chocolate chip is her favorite of them all–, eight bottles of the most exquisite red wines he can get his hands on, twenty two turn downs, a magical kiss on new year's eve and one letter of resignation to convince her how serious he is about her.

Felicity ends up tearing the letter to shreds and launching herself into his arms.

The story makes for an excellent anecdote at their wedding, and one of their favorites to tell their kids and grandkids.


	57. Chapter 57

"I think we should have another."

The words were out of her mouth before she had time to think about them. Watching Tommy play with his toy cars had caused a longing to swell up in her heart.

"Are you sure?" Oliver asked from next to her on the couch, clearly remembering the difficult pregnancy she'd gone through with Tommy. The extreme morning sickness, the severe backaches and the dangerously low blood pressure. Felicity had been scary pale and thin. She'd been tired all the time, Oliver functioning as her own personal heating pad as she cried herself to sleep at night.

They'd been so happy when they found out she was pregnant, so excited to be adding a member to their little family, but the experience had brought them so much grief. Oliver didn't know what to do, couldn't relieve any of her pain and it killed him. A sadness fell over their house that they hadn't expected. Oliver felt helpless as he watched Felicity's strength weaken every single day, her blue eyes lose their sparkle and her cheery personality deteriorate. They went to countless of doctors, but they all said the same. The pregnancy was taking too much out of her. They increased the iron in her diet and it got slightly better. Felicity had more energy but in her weakened state the morning sickness and the back pains remained.

Felicity nodded and smiled softly. She hadn't forgotten either. Lifting her head off of his shoulder so she could look at him, the sadness of the memory clear in his blue eyes.

It had all gone to hell when, at 32 weeks pregnant, Felicity had started bleeding and was admitted into the hospital. The Doctors rushed her in for a C-section. Their son was healthy, both parents reduced to tears but with the tiny screaming baby in his arms Oliver watched his wife's heartrate drop until it stopped. The added blood loss of the cesarean had weakened Felicity even more and she was clinically dead for 5 seconds as her son was taken into the NICU.

Oliver had been waiting outside of the OR, tears staining his cheeks as he paced across the hall in his scrubs until a doctor came outside to calm him down, telling him that Felicity would make it.

"I don't know if I can go through that again, Felicity." He whispered, taking her hand.

After Tommy's birth she was kept in the hospital for two weeks to get her body her strength back. She recovered pretty quickly, even ventured on walks to see tiny Tommy in the NICU, Oliver always by her side.

Even though his life had had a rocky start, Tommy was a happy little boy. He slept through the night pretty quickly, a blessing his parents greatly appreciated. Even though he was small for his age, he was a bubbly ball of energy, always smiling and laughing. It helped Oliver and Felicity accept their difficult times and move on as a family. Tommy was four now, and just as smart as his mother and charming as his father.

"I know. But this time we'll be prepared for the worst. I grew up an only child and seeing you and Thea, it made me realize how much I missed out on. You two would go through hell and back for each other and I want that for Tommy. A little brother or sister." She said quietly, squeezing Oliver's hand, pulling it up to her lips to press a soft kiss onto his knuckles.

Oliver looked his wife in the eyes for a long moment before he nodded. A small smile curled up on his lips, before he reached close and pressed his lips to hers. "I'd like for him to have that too."

Felicity smiled brightly, hand coming up to cup his cheek. "I love you, Oliver."

"I love you too." He whispered back to her, an arm snaking around her waist to pull her against him.

"We'll be fine as long as we have each other."


	58. Chapter 58

"No, Oliver, stop it!" Felicity pushed at it chest, pulling her lips from his. She'd let herself be lured into it. Oliver groaned, his mouth relocating to her temple, arms tightening around her waist. He wasn't gonna let go of her. Her legs were wrapped around his waist as she sat in his lap in the middle of the King-sized bed. The heat of his hands burned through her flimsy camisole.

"Felicity…" He whined, running his hands up and down her spine, pulling a shiver of delight from her. She narrowed her eyes at him, he wasn't playing fair.

"I'm sorry, Oliver. I know how much you… appreciate my bottom lip but the cut hasn't healed yet. It stings when you… appreciate it." She smiled at him sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

Oliver harrumphed and pouted. "Tell me again how you split it?" He asked with a smirk.

Felicity playfully hit him in the chest and rolled her eyes. She leaned in close, putting her arms around his neck and whispered; "My lips were chapped from all the making out we've been doing lately, and then…" A sparkle flickered in her eyes as she leaned even closer, their lips a hairsbreadth apart, agonizingly close. "you decided it was the perfect time to propose and I fell off the bed."

Oliver couldn't stop the laughter that bubbled to the surface. He nudged her nose with his and kissed the tip. "I love you, fiancée."

Pressing her temple against him, she hummed in agreement. "I love you too."

Felicity pursed her lips and smirked. "You know… you could put your mouth somewhere else, too, you know… a little… uhm… lower." She said, blushing a little while wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Oliver's hands froze, his gaze meeting hers before he smirked, lifting her off of him in one swift move, tossing her back against the pillow, knees edging her thighs apart as he hovered over her. He took her hand, kissing her newly adorned ring finger. He pulled her camisole off of her, her pajama shorts and panties following quickly. His lips were everywhere but on hers, kissing their way down her body, slowly but surely advancing towards the area where she needed him most.

Her fingers tangled in his hair as he worked his magic, leaving her a sweaty, trembling mess.


	59. Chapter 59

Felicity had been absolutely terrified when she found her two year old son crying –or more like screaming his lungs out—on the floor in front of his crib, clutching his right hand to his chest. Never before had he screamed like that. She had pulled away from a very important search for stolen weapons and rushed to his side, pulling him up off the floor and hugging him close to her chest, balanced on her hip.

"Oh baby, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Mama! Huwts!" Tommy wailed, holding out his chubby little arm for her to look at. The skin on his wrist was bruised angrily, the splotches of blue, purple and yellowish seemingly mocking her.

That's when she realized. Tommy had been in his crib for a nap when she left him half an hour earlier. Felicity froze as her son cried, wiping his snotty nose on her new blouse. She couldn't care about that right now. Tommy had climbed out of his crib, somehow, and fallen on the floor from a good three feet up. Her heart started racing, was she that terrible a mother that she hadn't realized he could do that?

"Damnit" she cursed at herself as she realized that she had married a ninja, a master of all things parkour, a lethal vigilante –if he wanted too—and she was surprised that his son had turned out just like him.

"Oliver?!" She called out as she walked into the hall, her fingers gently cradling her sons wrist. His sobbing had been reduced to sniffling now that he was safely in his mother's arms.

Her husband stuck his head out of the study, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Get the car please, Tommy has had a little accident. We need to go see a doctor." She said calmly, watching the curiosity fade into worry and then determination. They were on the road in less than five minutes.

"So what exactly happened?" Oliver asked as they sat down in the waiting area of the emergency room after making it to the hospital in record time.

Felicity harrumphed, cradling her son to her chest, the little boy's tears had stopped and he was now playing with her necklace. His eyes were red-rimmed and cheeks tear-stained, some leftover snot still dripping from his nose. He'd started hiccupping a while ago as he slowly started to calm down, the air in his stomach bubbling back up.

"Oh he is definitely your son alright." Felicity muttered, reaching out to stroke Tommy's cheek with her index-finger. Oliver frowned, hand moving to Felicity's knee as it kept bobbing up and down nervously.

Felicity sighed. "I have no idea how he did it but he climbed out of his crib and fell."

Oliver's eyebrows flew up into his hairline. Stunned, he leaned back in the uncomfortable chair. "Baby parkour." He muttered, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"What was that?" Felicity asked, whipping her head around to look at him.

"Baby parkour." Oliver said again, this time louder, the smile on his face growing.

Felicity tilted her head to the side. "Oliver, this isn't funny. He could have been seriously hurt."

The smile disappeared. "I know, I'm sorry. But you have to admit, it's pretty damn impressive he can pull his own chubby weight."

She had to bite the inside of her cheeks to not laugh at that one. Tommy was indeed a very chubby little bastard. Oliver's hand moved across her shoulder blades and wrapped around her. He pressed his lips against her temple and whispered: "Hey, don't worry. He's gonna be okay."

Felicity tore her gaze off of her son and looked at her husband, a watery smile on her face. She nodded slowly, trying to keep the tears at bay. There hadn't been time to cry, but she had felt the tears stinging behind her eyes the moment she heard the thud and the screaming coming from Tommy's nursery. Oliver's hold on her tightened. He knew she was about to break down.

"It's okay, he's okay." He whispered.

"I was so worried." She replied, a tremble in her voice.

"I know, honey. I know." Oliver put a hand on his wife's cheek and smiled gently. His thumb wiped away the single tear that escaped and trickled down her cheek.

"But, you know, he's your son too. He's a lot tougher than he looks."

Tommy had sprained his wrist because of the fall, but was otherwise fine. The doctor had said he was a brave little boy as she had wrapped his tiny wrist in a splint and gauze.


	60. Chapter 60

Oliver smiled as he pressed send on the video. Tommy was staring up at him in wonder, wrapped in his baby blue blankets. He squirmed underneath the soft material, fighting free an arm and reached for his dad.

"Hi buddy." Oliver murmured, letting the little boy's hand latch onto his finger. He reachedover and pressed a kiss to his soft cheek, making Tommy giggle.

He'd only just woken up from his nap, but he was already so awake, ready for all the adventures a 4 month old could have. On today's itinerary, putting stuff in your mouth that doesn't belong there and tricking dad in feeding you more than once. That old sap always caved at the sight of Tommy's tears. Where was mom anyways?

Felicity almost cried when she saw Oliver had attached a video to his latest text message, telling her everything was going fine. She was in the middle of a crowded elevator, on the way up to her room after a long day of meetings. It was her first business trip since Tommy was born, and it was slowly killing her from the inside. The need to hold her baby against her was strong, the desire to nurse him even worse. She didn't even want to talk about the leaking. It was a mess.

Once she was safely inside her room, plopped down on the giant bed that was cold at night without her husband to warm it up, she pressed play. The waterworks set in motion. She sniffled as she watched Tommy wake up from his nap, bottom lip trembling as he smiled at his dad, giggling when the smile turned into an angry face.

She missed her boys so much. They were all the way on the other side of the continent while she was stuck in meetings with New York City's most uptight Queen Incorporated shareholders. Oh how she craved to hear Tommy's giggling, have him curled up against her in bed, taking naps together. Maternity leave had ended way to soon.

The phone rang not ten minutes after he'd pressed send on the text to Felicity. He smirked a little, had expected it to happen.

"Hi, honey? How's your day been?" He asked as he picked up the phone, balancing Tommy in his free arm.

On the other end of the line, Felicity sniffled.

"That bad?"

She whimpered, right as Tommy took hold of his own foot and tried to stuff it in his mouth. Oliver smiled softly before focusing back on his wife.

"I hate being away from the two of you." Felicity sighed. "It's cold and lonely and my breasts keep leaking. Oliver, I wanna go home."

"Then come home. We miss you too, sweetheart. Tommy has been utterly disappointed he's being forced to drink from the bottle."

That made Felicity laugh. Oliver smiled down at their son, rocking him a little. Tommy squealed.

"Can I talk to him?" Felicity asked.

"Of course." He said, putting the phone on speaker before lowering it to Tommy's ear. The little boy reached for the device instantly, grabbing the edges and putting it in his mouth, making little noises of contentment while slobbering all over Oliver's phone.

"Hi baby." Felicity whispered. Tommy squealed, recognizing her voice.

"Mama misses you so much sweetheart."

"I'm coming home tomorrow."

"I'll be there soon, okay? "

She caught the first flight out of New York, standing on the doorstep of their home only sixteen hours later. Slightly jetlagged, she stumbled into the hall, greeted by an overly excited four month old and a husband with bags under his eyes and t-shirt covered in spit-up.

Was she glad to be home.

The video Oliver sent to Felicity can be found at post / 131443884246 / wake-up-call-ao3-general-flufffuture


	61. Chapter 61

"Thea! No!" Felicity called out, but it was too late. Clumsy little Thea, with her dangly legs and zero coordination whatsoever tripped over her own feet before she even made it out of the kitchen. The thrill of being Roy's accomplice in teasing Felicity while she was baking had made the five year-old overconfident, her giggles echoing off the walls right before she fell to the floor face first.

The worst part was the bag of flour she was holding. The flour wasn't in the bag anymore. It was everywhere but in the bag. Felicity stood frozen as she took in the now almost completely white kitchen. The powdery white substance was still settling, floating through the air like snow. Her eyes were wider than they'd ever been, jaw almost hitting the floor as her mouth hung open.

Thea didn't cry. Thank god. Felicity didn't think she could handle that on top of the mess this situation already was. Sitting up, Thea dusted herself off, to no use, and started giggling.

Felicity had been happy to help when Mrs. Queen had asked her to come help Oliver look after Thea and Roy for the day. How hard could it be to look after two five year-olds she'd wondered, but she was beginning to understand why her boyfriend needed a helping hand. Thea was bubbly and energetic. Roy was twice as exhausting, never able to sit still, always running around. Together, they were a nightmare. If Moira's intentions were to scare them into having safe sex, it worked.

"What the hell happened here?" Oliver asked as he rounded the corner into the kitchen, Roy hanging onto his right leg like a monkey.

Roy was a classmate of Thea's who was staying over at the Queen's for a week because his single mother was on a business trip. Up until that day, Moira had been present to keep an eye on them, and Raisa had been there to make sure they were fed and not getting into trouble. But today was Raisa's day off and Moira had been called into the office for a surprise board meeting. So now, Oliver's mother had left her eighteen year-old son and his girlfriend in charge.

Upon seeing the mess, Roy finally let go of Oliver's leg and scrambled towards Thea, grabbing a handful of flour and dumping it onto her head. Thea did the same to him. Both kids' faces turned red from laughter, clutching their stomachs as they giggled.

Felicity rested her elbows on the counter, hiding her face in her hands in exasperation. She let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

"Everything was going so well." Felicity sighed. Oliver tiptoed around the mess, putting a reassuring hand on Felicity's back when he reached her.

They'd decided to separate the two kids for a while, see if it would be easier to keep them in check. Felicity had taken Thea to help her in the kitchen baking some cookies and Oliver had let Roy play with his Xbox.

"Thea and I were having fun with the cookies and suddenly she grabbed the flour, yelling something about showing Roy. I had my hands full with dough. I couldn't stop her."

"Hey! Hey, It's okay, It's not your fault. At least nobody's hurt." He said soothingly.

"Yes thank god. That would've been a whole other mess." She muttered.

Oliver let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. He leaned down to kiss her temple.

"Minor setback, that's all."

Felicity scoffed and pushed herself up off the counter, leaning her hip against as she looked at him. "How are you so chill about this? It looks like someone's cocaine lab just exploded." She said gesturing around the kitchen.

Shrugging, Oliver chuckled again. "You're so cute when you worry." He whispered, putting his hands on her upper arms, stroking softly up and down. He pressed a kiss between her eyebrows, soothing away the line that had formed there.

"We're lucky the weather is so nice today. What do you say I get them cleaned up and you grab the vacuum?"

Felicity nodded in agreement, hooking a finger into Oliver's collar and pulling him down to kiss him. High-pitched screaming and noises of disgust coming from the kitchen floor had them pulling apart, laughing. Oliver squeezed her hand before letting go, getting the kids up off the floor and out of their flour-covered clothes. She went to grab the vacuum and when she came back, she could see Oliver standing on the grass with the garden hose through the window, Thea and Roy laughing and running through the spray in delight. Felicity managed to clean up the kitchen pretty quickly, finished the half-ready cookie dough and put twelve neatly lined dough circles in the oven. When she was done, she grabbed some towels and dry clothes for the kids and went outside in the hot summer sun.

She didn't expect Oliver's teasing side to rear its head until she was standing in the middle of the lawn in a soaked sundress. She scowled at him with wide as he stood there smirking in satisfaction.  
Now that meant war.

She charged towards Oliver, catching him off guard and yanking the hose from his hands. She turned the head around, soaking him in the cold water. He yelped and ran in the other direction. Thea and Roy chased after him as Felicity tried her best to get him even wetter, aiming at them from a distance. Laughter floated through the air until they were all exhausted. Thea nearly fell asleep in her wet underwear in the middle of the lawn.

They dried off, ate a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie and Oliver and Felicity put Roy and Thea down for a nap before plopping down on the couch in the living-room. Wrapped up in each other, the exhaustion from the day pulled them under and soon they were asleep as well.


End file.
